Coming for you
by GrayandMercy
Summary: Times are changing. Naraku is growing closer to his ultimate goal of destroying Kikyou's soul once and for all. While the world falls in around them, the Inu group rediscovers eachother and race to get the last shard. Kou/Kag
1. Twisting purple

She couldn't tell if she was dreaming or awake.

The sky twisted with a purple haze and silver balls of light plummeted toward the Earth. The tiny lights landed everywhere around her, raining in a thunderstorm of comets. And then one by one, they went out.

Then it got darker until she could see nothing but the blurry swirling haze.  
"Kagome" A voice called out. She moved her lips to answer but nothing came out. Her eyes kept blinking, opening slower and slower each time. She twitched her muscles but they agonizingly tightened until she was immobilized.

She'd never felt a pain like this.

The air seemed to disappear and her throat closed. "Kagome, Kagome." The voice kept calling. Warmth suddenly circled around her. Kagome took a deep breath and the air returned.

Kagome took another breath. And then a name slipped off her tongue.

"Kouga."

~*~*~

"Kougaaaa! When are we going to stop running in circles?" Hakkaku complained when his leader finally came to a stop.

Ginta caught up a second later, his face burning red from running. He put both hands on his knees and leaned forward to catch his breath.

"Yeah," He agreed, puffing, "There's no way Naraku's out here. We would have found something by now."

"Are you lazy wolves ever going to stop complaining?" Kouga folded his arms over his chest. The wind raced through the trees and pushed his hair to twirl and dance with it. He looked toward the sunset, squinting through to bright light to try to see something in the distance.

He didn't like to admit it, but Ginta and Hakkaku were probably right. They'd run this trail before sniffing out that ugly iron scent Naraku had and following run down prints in the dirt.

All that floated in the air now was the deep rich scents of the plant life and pollen that the wind had swept up.

"Why is he so irritated?" He heard Hakkaku mutter but didn't turn to acknowledge it.

"Probably starving like us." Ginta replied in the same muttered voice.

"No, it's probably because he hasn't seen Onii-san in over a month. He hasn't stopped whispering her name when he's asleep."

"Oh…"

"You know I can hear you!" Kouga growled, spinning around to face the other two.

They sprung apart in seconds, suddenly becoming engrossed in the floor.

Rubbing his hands together, Hakkaku spoke up before Kouga turned away.

"Maybe it wouldn't be a bad idea to go see her Kouga. It's been a month. She might be starting to think you don't care about her anymore."

Kouga's thoughts darkened at the words. He ground his heel into the hard dirt below them as he did one more survey of the land.

"Kagome wouldn't doubt me like that." He tried to assure himself but his tone didn't reinforce it.

"Well, Kouga it wouldn't hurt to go see her." Ginta took up in Hakkaku's place and they both fiercely nodded when he turned to look at them.

Kouga's mood shifted to something he didn't want to admit. He could picture Kagome in his mind—everything from her long raven hair to her glistening eyes. But every time he could get a good imagine of her in his head, that stupid dog had to come in and ruin it. Even in his _mind_.

And even more bothersome was Kouga's continued suspicions about their relationship. Inuyasha and Kagome clearly weren't mates, he could tell that. Nor had there been any signs that they were going to be. Inuyasha's dawdling were already enough of a reason to cost him Kagome. If he was taking too long, Kouga had ever right to step in and take his place.

And yet he wasn't sure Kagome agreed. It'd been a few months now and she never gave any sign of returning his advances. A frown inched up on him as he thought about this. While nothing had changed, maybe he was becoming more concerned about it because his feelings for Kagome were growing.

The wolf prince turned and started to run leaving Hakkaku and Ginta in his dust. The running and empowerment of the jewels helped empty his mind some but thoughts still plagued him. When he first met Kagome she was just a game to him, a good mate he had to hunt down and woo until he got his way. And as time went on it seemed all he could think about was her. Apparently he was even speaking in his dreams about her.

Kouga growled in frustration and slid to a halt. He put his nose up to the air and breathed in.

All he smelt were flowers. And the wind abruptly shifted and brought him her scent. Hakkaku and Ginta were screaming at him to wait up. Kouga gave them a few moments, his mind trying to think rationally over something he already decided. He would go to her.

~*~

A/N: Hey guys, I did this because there just weren't enough Kouga/Kagome fics out there. Also this isn't an Inuyasha bashing fic so no worries. I plan for it to be tastefully done. : ) And even without the pairing, it should be cool in its own respect.

Drop me a line and tell me what you think.


	2. Lack of resistance

A/N: I acknowledge the prologue doesn't stand alone very well so here's the next chapter!

~*~

Kagome yawned for the briefest of seconds, stretching her muscles without shifting the sleeping fox demon in her arms. Her eyelids wanted to shut more than ever and she tried futilely to shake the weariness off. Nightmares had been plaguing her the past week and she'd wake up out of a dead sleep with no memory of the events that horrified her so much. It didn't help where her hip ached and pulsed with aggravation from the last injury she'd gotten in a demon attack.

"Kagome, maybe you should let Shippou-chan walk." Kagome got snapped out of her gaze when the monk spoke up.

"Oh, no Miroku it's fine." She nodded her head politely, moving her fingers to brush through the tiny kits hair. "If I had nothing to do but walk, I'd fall asleep where I stand."

The monk didn't look convinced, but he reluctantly nodded and turned his attention ahead.

"Maybe we should stop for the night, Miroku," The demon slayer called attention to herself as she shifted her boomerang's weight to another side. "It doesn't seem like Inuyasha will be back tonight either."

Her eyes burned with dryness and she kept trying to blink to keep it away. They'd been walking for at least three days straight and Sango was beginning to doubt the worthiness of their mission. Kagome had brought enough food and water for a week's trip but the inability to stay one place was beginning to nag at everyone.

Miroku seemed to consider it, rubbing his chin as an absent gesture.

"Perhaps when we reach human territory. Without Inuyasha, it won't be safe for us to stay here long. Especially not with Kagome's sacred jewel shards."

Kagome stifled another yawn that came on and moved to stare at the dirt below her. Her good school shoes were scuffed up beyond repair.

Kagome wondered at that second what she wouldn't do for a car.

"How far do you think that'll be Miroku? We can't keep walking like this forever." Sango's eyes trailed over to Kagome. Her lips thinned and she came to a stop. Kagome kept walking without noticing.

Miroku noticed her stopping and paused next to her. He leaned forward when Sango beckoned him.

"She can't keep going like this. We're going to make Kagome sick."

Miroku traced his hands along the wood of his staff.

"Perhaps she's just upset that Inuyasha went to find Kikyou again." He cast a look to where Kagome trotted on slowly and he shook his head. "We'll be in danger if we stop here."

Kagome gasped and the two others snapped their head up.

"I feel jewel shards."

"What?" Miroku tightened his grasp on his staff and ran to her side.

Kagome's eyes widened and her heart clenched. She tried to place the location but it was moving too fast. Shippou awoke at her sudden movement and the tiny fox scrambled down her legs in a panic.

"What's going on?" Shippou squealed when he hit the ground.

Kagome turned her head in the direction of the shards. The tornado became visible and Kagome fell back a step.

Kouga's tornado slid in front of them before it dissipated and left the wolf demon standing alone.

"Kagome!" He couldn't help but grin when he saw her. Marching up, he went to grab her free hands. Kagome didn't fight him.

"How've you been?" He looked straight in her eyes and his smile weakened some.

Kagome's eyelids were half way shut and she didn't smile. Her face was almost completely inanimate.

"Hi Kouga." She spoke softly.

Kouga faltered hearing her voice. And then abruptly jerked his head around. "Where's the mutt?"

He ran his eyes over her companions but didn't find the dog demon among them. He shifted his fingers over Kagome's, his youkai senses running wild trying to put the scene together.

"He's not here now. He's planning to catch up with us later." Sango spoke up for Kagome, stepping forward to join them.

Kouga looked at her for a second, noticing the way her eyes didn't focus on him as she spoke. Sango's brown iris's stayed in Kagome's direction.

"Did that mutt hut you Kagome?" He couldn't stop the anger that rose up at the thought. Kouga tightened his hands over Kagome's again and looked back toward the girl.

Kagome didn't perk up any.

"No, Kouga." She still spoke really softly. "We're all just really tired and we still have a lot of walking to do. So if you don't mind, we probably should get back to it."

Kouga opened his mouth but couldn't answer for a second.

"Wait," Miroku stepped forward, making Shippou spring out of his way before the fox was stepped on.

"Perhaps Kouga, you wouldn't mind putting us up for the night if your den is near. We would all really appreciate it." He spoke for all of them but Kouga's gaze stayed squarely on Kagome.

Puffing up his chest, he let Kagome's hands go.

"I'd be honored to put up Kagome and Kagome's friends for the night." He forced his mind to stay on track instead of wondering off to the idea of having Kagome at his den for the night.

"How far is your den from here?" Sango asked.

"About two miles. You think you can make it?"

Sango looked down at Kirara who stood next to her. The tiny demon let out a purr and darted back a few steps. In seconds, it exploded into flames and into its larger form.

"We can, just lead the way."

Miroku and Sango moved to hop on Kirara, Shippou grabbing onto Miroku's staff to be dragged on himself.

Kouga looked back down at the girl in front of him, wanting to reach out and tuck her raven hair back beyond her ear. His hand burned with the desire but he kept it firmly at his side.

"Kagome?" He asked cautiously as the girl didn't move at first.

"Thank you Kouga. That'd be great. I'm so tired." She tried to give a weak smile but it faltered.

Kouga frowned and moved quickly. He grabbed her under the legs and back and pulled her to his chest. Kagome blinked, startled by the movement but she didn't fight.

Kouga didn't hesitate at her lack of resistance. Carefully constricting his grip, he nodded at the others and took off into a tornado of kicked up wind.


	3. A place to rest my head

"Hey Kouga!" One of the wolf-demon's called when they arrived at the cave. Shippou cringed at the voice and raced to hide on Sango's shoulder. The demon exterminator looked around with interest when their group entered the cave. Various wolf demons sat around the edges and wolves lay around further back in the cave. The wolf demons didn't break their stares from the woman in Kouga's arms and never bothered to look at them.

"So this is the wolf den." Miroku said thoughtfully, rubbing his chin as he looked around.

"Yea," Sango didn't hide her interest either.

Kouga walked ahead of them, his mind focused solely on the girl in his arms. Kagome leaned her head against the armor on his chest, her eyes fluttering open and shut erratically. She would have blushed had she any energy left. But in Kouga's arms, all Kagome could think of was the warmth his arms provided her and how utterly tired she was. She began to wonder if he would forgive her for being rude if she fell asleep right there.

"Kouga!" The heads turned when Ginta and Hakkaku came through the entrance of the cave. They waved their arms, relief washing over them when they realized they finally caught up with Kouga.

"These people are going to be staying with us tonight." Kouga suddenly spoke up in a firm tone. "Make them welcome."

"Oh, hi Sango, Miroku." Ginta nodded at them as he walked around them both. "Sango, we can take you to sleep with the women's den if you want. You might be more comfortable there."

Sango's mouth fell open and she glanced at her companions. "I'd be just as comfortable if I stayed with my friends." She admitted.

"Oh, what happened to Onii-san?" Hakkaku blurted out when his eyes fell on the still girl in Kouga's arms. The color almost drained from his face in alarm.

"Close your mouth before you catch flies." Kouga said, instinctively tightening his arms around the girl. He looked down at the girl who had gone completely still in his arms. Her breath came out gentle and steady, her cheeks getting a tint of pink.

"She's asleep so don't go yapping and wake her up." Kouga added but his voice remained low enough not to wake her.

An unfamiliar feeling had swept over him. He'd had to admit, he'd never been quite so close to the girl before. Especially not when she looked so…vulnerable.

Kouga's heart twitched thinking about it and he didn't want to put her down.

He kept walking back into the cave and the others took the unspoken direction and followed.

"Here," he said leading them into another corridor. Beds of fur sat around the corridor. "You can stay here for the night. None of the others will bother you."

Sango gratefully put down her boomerang and rubbed her shoulder where the strap had been.

"Thank you for your hospitality Kouga," Miroku nodded gratefully.

Kouga gave a look of understanding and moved to walk to the other room.

"Hey, what about Kagome!" Kouga almost growled when he heard the fox demon yelp.

Twisting around, he looked at the monk and demon slayer who'd readied themselves in the confusion.

"Leave Kagome here." Sango waved an absent hand toward one of the beds. Her brow furrowed as she watched the look of concentration had when Kouga looked at Kagome.

"As my women, she should be allowed to sleep in my room."

Sango jerked forward, reaching a hand out to stop him.

"Surely you don't expect us to allow you to take advantage of Kagome-sama in her sleep." Miroku added, moving to back up Sango. They studied him carefully, tensing their muscles, and reading into their options in an instant.

"I'm not going to touch her." Kouga almost growled in frustration. His arms refused to let the girl go. This new feeling that reached him wouldn't budge. "But as my woman she's allowed to have my bed. I'll sleep with the others in the back of the cave."

Sango couldn't stop the squeak of utter surprise that escaped her. The wolf prince shot his head up with narrowed eyes and she fell a step back.

"What do you think, Sango?" Miroku didn't shift but asked the girl behind him.

She let her eyes trail over the wolf prince over again. Relying on the instincts she'd developed over years of training, she reached out and touched Miroku's shoulder.

"Sango?" The monk asked confused.

"He'll do as he says. He knows if he hurts Kagome in any way, she'd never speak to him again."

Kouga heard all he needed to and turned to walk down the hall. He slid into his 'room' and kneeled down at the bed. Gently, he sat down the sleeping girl. His mind still racing with thoughts he pushed in the back of his mind. Ignoring them all, he pulled the blanket over her. When the girl unconsciously snuggled into the blanket, he breathed a bit. This room reeked of him and now Kagome's scent was mixed in.

His heart churned at the thought, and he went to reach out. Kouga paused, his hand still in the air. He hesitated, his heart still churning at the sight of her. His Kagome was asleep in his bed. Forcing a hard swallow, he gently ran his fingertips over her jaw line. Tracing his over her cheek, he brushed the stray hairs behind her air.

Kouga reluctantly forced himself to draw his hand away. Her smell was starting to get to him, and he could feel the familiar pressure in his head that told him his most basic youkai instincts wanted to take over. Shaking them off, he stood up and left the room.

~*~

A/N: Kouga/Kag supporters unite! And review


	4. A shifting perspective

"She's returning." The voice whispered.

And then the screaming started.

Kagome jerked her head, twisting and arching forward. The screams grew in power, rebounding off the walls and making the ground shake. Kagome found herself looking at the dirty ground below her. The dust shifted and shook.

Kagome tried to breath but there was no air to be had. She gasped and the ground trembled harder. Clenching her eyes shut, she blocked out the world.

"We're coming for you, coming for you!" The voices started to scream in unison. Kagome threw her hands to press flat to her ears. The screaming only got louder. She staggered backwards, tripping as the ground moved under her feet. She landed on her back and opened her eyes.

And found herself staring up at the twisting purple sky.

Kagome jerked up, her muscles shook with a jolt of unexpected agony reaching through her. She found herself staring at a wall of a cave covered in darkness. She sucked in a breath, excited when the glorious air filled her lungs. She let her muscles relax, the adrenaline burst leaving nothing but an uncomfortable twinge, and put a hand to her chest. Her heart pounded to an unusual beat.

Pulling the blanket off her, Kagome slowly found her way to her feet. Her memory came back to her and she blushed thinking that she really did fall asleep in Kouga's arms.

"Well not that I can do much about it now." She spoke to herself quietly. Surveying her surroundings, she walked for the door knowing it would well be futile to try and sleep again.

She passed her sleeping group, pausing when Kirara flickered her eyes opened for a moment to see who passed.

Kagome kept walking, carefully stepping around everyone without a sound. She spotted the moonlight reaching into the cave and followed it out. She smelt the water before she heard it, and the rushing of the waterfall helped put her heart at ease.

Kagome took a deep breath, and shifted to one foot when she felt the jewel shards pulse. Kouga was outside.

Springing forward carefully, she hopped to the ledge where she caught sight of him.

If Kouga realized she was there, he didn't let it on at first. Lit up by the moonlight, the wolf-prince stared out toward the distance Gentle breezes played with his hair, and a heavy set determination filled his blue eyes.

"Kouga." She spoke up quietly as she walked forward. The wolf immediately turned to look at her.

"Kagome, you're up." Springing from where he was, he closed the distance between them but stopped short just a foot away. He still puffed his chest up and changed his stance to exude confidence.

Kagome smiled at him, her eyes trailing over his gently flushed cheeks, his nearly pouted lips.

"Yea, guess I couldn't sleep." She reached up to brush a hair out of her face when the breeze continued. "Why are you out here so late?"

Kouga's eyes wouldn't leave her. His heart twanging as she moved but he forced himself to ignore it.

"I'm keeping guard while everyone else is asleep." He said quietly. His eyes flickered back to the cave for a second before returning to her.

Fatigue barely scratched at him, but more troublesome were his thoughts that wouldn't stop spinning. If he'd thought they were bad before, now that Kagome stayed so very close to him, it just got worse.

"Mind if I keep you company for awhile?" She didn't wait for an answer and moved past him to sit on the ledge. Kagome patted the spot next to her before turning to look out at the land. Kouga sat down next to her, his words catching in his throat. Kicking himself mentally, Kouga forced himself to look out absently at the trees in the distance. His heart only picked up speed and he refused to show it on his face.

"Kouga-kun." She spoke up after a minute, her voice low again. Kouga almost had to strain his ears to hear it.

"What is it?"

Turning toward him suddenly, Kagome leaned forward to catch his eyes. The wolf prince almost sprung back in surprise but held his ground. Before he could open his mouth, Kagome beat him to it.

"I have an honest question for you Kouga. I don't want you to lie to me even if you think it would hurt my feelings."

Kouga's mouth fell open but he shut it when she hesitated.

"I know when we met; you liked me because I could see the jewel shards." Kagome let her eyes trail away once she was sure she had his attention. She could almost feel him stiffen next to her. "But have things changed? If I could stop seeing the jewel shards tomorrow, would you feel the same way?"

Kouga's heart skipped a beat and he straightened out like a flat board. His mind replayed her words at least half a dozen times, each time slower than the one before.

His mind answered for him before he opened his mouth. How could she even think that? He would admit that it may seem that way. His mind flipped over backwards trying to remember what might have lead Kagome to think that'd never changed. Or why did it ever change?

Kouga almost growled in frustration when his thoughts darkened. Yes, Kagome's main benefit to him was her jewel shards. But he couldn't lie that his feelings had mutated far beyond that. He wouldn't try to.

Kouga shook his head for a second, snapping back to reality. Reaching out he used to fingers to turn her chin to look at him. Taking a deep breath he readied himself when her chocolate eyes met his.

"Kagome, believe me when I say this." He whispered without reason, but stayed focused. "I promised I would die for you. My feelings for you won't change because of the jewel." He spoke slowly, his heart churning with every word that escaped his lips.

Drastically searching her eyes, Kouga looked for a change, something. A new feeling of dread washed over him when she didn't move at first.

Kagome barely thought about it. If the idea even had the time to finish processing when she did it. Closing the distance between them, Kagome caught his lips and kissed him. The sensation rushing all the way down to her core.

Kouga would always love her. Kouga would never let her go for someone who was already dead.

The wolf prince would have sworn on his life time stopped. The warmth of her lips shooting a rippling tingle through his limbs. His mind screamed at him to pull her closer but his hands stayed still as not to break the spell. She kissed him for a full minute, pulling away with her cheeks tinged pink.

Kouga wasn't sure if he heart was even still beating. His eyes never left the girl, his thoughts racing away from him.

She smiled, brightly and suddenly.

Any memories of the dream and Inuyasha left her mind when she had touched him. And she watched Kouga's eyes light up with something she'd never seen before. A new contentment, happiness, she'd never spotted on the wolf demon before. Her heart almost cheered that she brought that to him, and that thought alone banished any doubts about the kiss.

"Thank you for standing by me Kouga." She said, "but I'm going to try to return to sleep before the sun rises."

Kagome stood and Kouga awkwardly jerked to a stance with her. His thoughts rammed together and tumbled over each other as they rushed to come together. Before he could stutter an answer, she reached out to brush her fingertips along her forearm. The flush on her face got worse and she smiled at him again. "I'll see you tomorrow alright?" Turning, she ran back toward the cave with her heart jogging her chest. The smile never left her when she went to sleep last night.

And she didn't have any more dreams.

~*~

A/N: Hey I posted on a Wednesday! I hate Wednesdays….anyways I tried to keep Kouga's character close to home and tried not to make it too sappy and all that. Drop me a review and tell me if I succeeded.


	5. One step forward

Kagome awoke slowly. First she became aware of the soft blankets below her, more comfortable than her sleeping bag on the hard floor. Then she remembered fur blanket and the surrounding cave walls. Kagome yawned, stretching her muscles out, at first reluctant to move from her spot. Then, a moment later, she remembered last night. Her cheeks burned and Kagome shut her eyes for a second.

Okay, so she had kissed Kouga. Kagome opened her eyes before her brain conjured up the image and sat up. Clasping her hands in her lap, she rubbed her knuckles with her thumb absently. She didn't regret it necessarily. More so, Kagome wondered how the wolf-prince took it. She knew he liked her back—he certainly kissed her back. But would the over exuberant wolf prince have already announced their engagement to the world or something? She knew how audacious the wolf prince already proved himself to be.

Wolves mate for life, that's what Kouga said. She knew that. Kagome's fingers sped up and she stiffened a bit. She did like Kouga, Kagome supposed. He was doing everything the perfect suitor should do. Protecting her, loving her, helping her every chance he got, lavishing her with affection…

Kagome stared at the details of the brown fur that sat over her lap.

Kouga for all intents and purposes stood leaps and bounds over Inuyasha. Inuyasha who dropped her during the last demon attack to rush to Kikyou's aid. And shortly thereafter, abandoned her to search for the already dead miko. Just thinking about it made her hip pulse and throb—the spot where she'd landed.

Pushing the blanket off of her, Kagome crawled off the bed and stood. She didn't regret kissing Kouga. She enjoyed it—the thought alone let a tingling run up her spine. But she didn't know if she was quite ready to go farther with it. Or even bother to explain it to the world.

Not until the Inuyasha nonsense was sorted out. A feeling of dread knotted at her heart.

Kagome dusted herself off and started walking towards the voices that echoed down the corridors. The knot in her heart got worse when she laid eyes upon her companions, who sat around chatting with Ginta and Hakkaku.

She knew she felt bad, because she knew Inuyasha already made his choice.

"Kagome!" Sango noticed the young girl's presence and greeted her brightly. She hadn't realized how much a night of safe rest would recharge them all. Normally, she couldn't quite sleep because of the demon attacks getting worse. Probably because they'd acquired so many shards of the jewel. Sango's eyes trailed down to where the jewel was tucked into Kagome's school uniform top. She knew better to mention it among a bunch of wolf demons though.

"Kagome!" Shippou chorused with her, running to crawl up Kagome's leg until he could plop into her waiting arms.

"How'd you sleep?" Sango asked, turning away from Miroku and the wolves' conversation.

Kagome gave a weak smile, waiting still for the dark feeling that had come over her to fade away.

"Great thanks. What's going on?" Her eyes moved over to where Miroku rubbed his chin deep in thought.

When she'd said it, the three men looked up at her.

"We're discussing Naraku's latest whereabouts onii-san."

"Whereabouts? Last time I heard he'd just about disappeared off the face of the earth." She said thinking how his usual presence was missing. He was keeping a low profile for some reason.

"That's what's puzzling Kagome. It's not Naraku's way to miss so many opportunities like this….unless…" Miroku's eyes looked hard at the floor. His hands starting to trace over the wood of his staff obsessively.

Kagome inwardly cringed at the dark tone. "Unless?" She beckoned him to keep talking.

"Unless he's up to something big."

Kagome almost jumped, the combination of the voice behind her and the sudden pulse of the jewel shards. Kagome's face flamed, the deep voice plastering memories of last night over her mind. Kagome almost cringed.

'We're talking about Naraku here Kagome. Get it together!' She admonished herself mentally.

Still her posture had stiffened enough she couldn't bring herself to turn around. Did he tell anyone? Or did he expect to do it again, right now, with everyone watching?

She suddenly engrossed herself with the floor, her deep in thought expression falling in easily with the surroundings.

Sango frowned, her lips thinning as she thought over what he could be up to.

"Kagome, how many shards did you say he had last?"

Kagome perked up and hesitated. "Uh, too many to count. But he might have lost some since then when he sent those demons to attack us."

Kagome still didn't turn around to see him, knowing full well Kouga was bound to notice. She sucked in a breath and steeled herself. Twisting around she opened her mouth to say something. But when their eyes met, the words were lost on her.

His blue eyes watched her with some type of intensity she'd never seen. But he didn't come off as happy either. His brow was knotted together, mouth shut and his arms were crossed.

Kagome tried to think again but her thoughts kept scattering on her. She settled for shutting her mouth and wiping the expression off her face. Kouga's eyes suddenly fell away from her and landed on Ginta and Hakkaku.

"Aren't you two suds supposed to be on guard right now?"

Mouths falling open, they snapped up to stand and messily stood at alert.

"Yes, Kouga. We're on our way right now!" Ginta spoke up for both of them and they staggered out of the cave.

Kagome found herself watching them when they went.

"Kagome." Sango brought her attention back down. "Either way, it's raining and they offered to let us stay as long as we wished. We could wait until the rain lightens up and maybe after breakfast."

Kagome listened for a second longer and then remembered she was the one who had the food.

"Oh, my bag." Kagome tapped Shippou to urge to kit off of her and to free up her arms. Kagome's eyes trailed absently around the cave before she remembered seeing it in the room she'd slept in.

"Yea, let me just grab that." Kagome twisted around, awkwardly stepping by Kouga and walking back the way she'd come.

Sango watched her go, her brow furrowing at first when she watched the strange way Kagome ran. Maybe she hadn't been fully healed from the last battle yet. Her eyes snapped away though, to the disappearing wolf-princes back. He was following her.

"Sango," Miroku tried to get her attention but Sango ignored him at first. She kept her eyes at the empty hallway for a minute more, her thoughts clicking together.

"What are you looking at?" Shippou tried this time and Sango turned away.

"I don't know." She said simply and brushed Shippou's fur before he could read too much into it. "So about Naraku…"


	6. and half a step back

Kouga took a breath in order to calm himself. He hadn't read her wrong, Kagome was avoiding looking at him. Everything from her tense posture to her jerky actions led him to believe nothing else. He tried not to growl thinking about it.

Flexing his knuckles, he watched her skirt around him as she dashed back to his room. Kouga turned away before any of her companions could catch his expression.

Kagome had kissed him and was she there now regretting it. He followed her out, walking slowly to bring his nerves down. Perhaps she didn't want to admit it to her human friends. While Kouga knew when things were private, the idea that she would want to hide it didn't sit well with him. Why wouldn't it? Was she ashamed to admit that she'd finally given into a mere wolf-princes advances? No, she was the one who made the advance on him. And he didn't care much for the human friends but they should know he was wolf demon royalty. So much more honorable than a _half-breed_.

Kouga stiffened. He would not be shown up by a stupid dog. Not when Kagome finally returned some bit of his affection for her.

He found the girl in his room, bending over her yellow bag to tug at one of the straps. She almost jumped when she felt him behind her.

"Kouga." Twisting around, she put a hand to her chest. "Hey." She breathed out and hesitated.

Kouga forced a breath again, trying to force his nerves still, but when her scent engulfed him it didn't help.

Kouga didn't speak at first and Kagome knew why. She tried not to cringe at the expression he gave her. Her heart pounded uncomfortably and she tried to steel her nerves. Why was this so hard?

"What's wrong?" She finally settled on a cop-out and regretted when it left her lips.

Kouga took up for her. Reaching out, he used an index finger to push her chin up to look at him. He looked over her eyes, unable to pinpoint exactly what she was thinking. Having no luck, he growled.

"You tell me. You kiss me last night and now you won't even look at me?"

The words hurt. Kagome could almost feel the strain in his voice. Breaking free of his hand, she jerked forward and launched herself into his arms. Wrapping her arms, she could feel him stiffened. His hands didn't touch her, staying awkwardly at his sides.

"I don't regret kissing you last night." She found it easier to confess into his chest. Twisting her head around, she rested her cheek on his armor. She felt him shift uncomfortably but Kagome ignored it. "It's not that. If that's what you're thinking. But I'm not ready to deal with Inuyasha yet. And if everyone finds out I'm not sure what I'll do."

Kagome's thoughts followed her words one by one. And maybe it wasn't just that. Maybe it was because she'd really never been very intimate with anyone and didn't really know how to deal. Inuyasha, once or twice but that only came down to acting like it didn't happen the next day.

She suddenly felt Kouga rest his hands on her shoulders and she let out a breath she didn't know she'd been holding. Pulling away, Kagome looked back up at him. The wolf-prince's face had cleared of that intense look but had cleared out to something else. Relief? Kagome tried to guess but there was such a mix of emotions that Kagome couldn't quite understand.

She watched him for a moment, trying to discern the thoughts that played across his face. Kouga's lips formed a line and he waited a moment. Finally he opened his mouth, and almost whispered.

"I understand." He kept his composure.

Kouga reached back out and cupped her cheek.

"Still, you shouldn't worry about that stupid puppy." He said firmly but there was no aggression in his tone.

Kagome saw the change of the intensity in his eyes. He leaned forward a second later and kissed her again. Kagome's cheeks flushed and her heart flipped backwards on her. His lips were soft but searched hers with a solid pressure. Kagome tilted her head back and he took the opportunity of better access. Pressing harder, he wrapped an arm around her so she wouldn't be backed into the wall. Her long raven hair swept over his arm and sent a jolt through his body.

Kagome let her eyes shut and tried to keep her thoughts at bay. She tried to just enjoy the moment before her inevitable doubts would catch up on her. But she kept reminding herself.

Kouga was the one that was there for her. Kouga loved her. The mantra kept her still until he pulled away, his blue eyes burning into her own.

The tension that had knotted at Kouga slowly dispersed over the few moments and left him with a clearer head. Of course she was worried about the mutt. He didn't need her to tell him to know that. But at least Kagome hadn't regretted kissing him. His heart twitched at the thought when he kept holding the girl for a moment longer.

He wasn't going to be able to ignore this and let Kagome go like he usually did. His youkai instincts burned in the back of his mind, but he kept his rational thoughts focused on one thing. Kagome was coming to him and she would be his. Kouga didn't have to remind himself that he already acknowledged the stupid mutt wouldn't get in his way.

As for her friends, Kouga would leave that up to her. He let his constricting grip on her fall away and skimmed his eyes over her pouted lips and flushed cheeks. She opened her mouth to say something but hesitated.

"That'll do for now." Kouga spoke for her. His mood had lightened considerable and his muscles relaxed themselves.

Almost with a mutual acknowledgement, Kagome nodded and reached down to grab her bag. Her heart was still thumping loudly and she absently tugged at the strap. Breathing in the cleared air, Kagome gave him a brilliant smile and left the room.

Kouga waited a second after her. Trying to clear his face, he slowly walked behind her. He could wait.

For his Kagome.

~*~

Wow, this chapter was hard to write. I wasn't sure how I wanted to go about it. Anyways, happy labor day and if you guys want to see the ever changing status of updates check out my profile. It's my mission to keep that up to date.

Anyways, drop me a review and show your support and all that jazz!


	7. When it rains

The tension had drained away by the time the group sat down for breakfast—so much so Kagome almost grinned about nothing but the lightness in the air. Her heart still beat fairly fast and she tried to convince herself she'd wiped the blush off her cheeks long ago. If her companions noticed anything strange, they didn't comment on it.

"What else do you have in here Kagome?" Shippou asked digging through her bag with all of the tiny kits fury.

Kagome jerked to the side to avoid a package of noodles that Shippou swung behind him and shook her head.

"Move and I will show you." Kagome urged him while trying to knock the kitsune away. Shippou only started to dig more frantically.

Kagome turned her attention back to her adult companions who sipped silently. The conversation had swayed away from Naraku, everyone in the den silently agreeing that it was far too early to have to think about, and drifted to the weather for awhile.

Kouga came and went, darting around to check on morning tasks. Each time as he past, Kagome popped her head up to meet his gaze and almost swore her blush came back again. She gave him a small smile, afraid of attracting too much attention, and the wolf prince almost seemed to grin at what Kagome was beginning to think was her discomfort.

"How long do you think this will last for?" Sango placed her bowl down and gestured to the outside of the cave.

Miroku frowned, almost reluctant to answer as he cast an absent glance toward the front of the cave. "There isn't much telling. But perhaps when it lightens, our trip won't be so bad."

Sango's expression downturned. Leaning closer, she lowered her voice just a notch.

"I don't want to wear out our welcome here."

Miroku nodded just as Shippou popped his head up. Cheeks stuffed full enough to form balls on either side of his head, the fox waved his arms.

And said….something.

The three elder companions furrowed their brows until the fox swallowed the mess. He then repeated, "we can't wear out anything if Kagome is with us."

He gave them a toothily grin and Kagome groaned. Turning her head away, she stared at the wall instead.

"It's not just that." Sango tried to keep the weariness out of her voice. "If Inuyasha is trying to find us he might have no luck. Our scents would have vanished from the trail by now and are too covered up by this…wolf den."

Kagome's emotions jumped downwards at the mention but she twisted her head at the sudden gasp.

"Or he may have already found us." Miroku commented.

Kagome's eyes frantically rushed past him to spot out the wet dog demon that stood just at the edge of the cave. The top of his fire-rat cloth was gone and he held the transformed Tetsusaiga over his shoulder.

Kagome's heart skipped a beat.

The bunch of them stood but not before Inuyasha marched forward. He didn't speak at first, his golden iris' shrunken against the whites of his eyes.

"Inuyasha." They almost spoke in unison.

Inuyasha didn't look at her. Barely skimming his eyes over the other three, he announced, "Get your stuff together. We're leaving now."

"Inuyasha," Sango went to protest and hesitated.

He didn't humor them long. Twisting around, he faced the exit. Kagome's heart pulsed when she felt the Shikon jewels. Turning around, she spotted Kouga in the front of the cave.

'Oh this is not happening.' Springing up, she dashed to stand between the two. Inuyasha's stance didn't change, his expression never altering.

Kagome uncertainly looked between them and she finally focused on Inuyasha. Sucking in a breath, she stood up to her full height.

"You can't just show up without a word about anything and rush us out." The words didn't hold the power she'd hoped but she continued. "Especially not in the pouring rain." She popped her head up to stare at him in his eyes. But something wasn't right with them. The shadow in his iris's threatened to chill her to the core.

"I can't do this right now, Kagome. We need to go." His hand snatched out and grabbed her wrist. Without a second to spare, he twisted his weight and threw her over his shoulder. Shifting his sword down, he threw it in his sheath and made for the door before Kagome could even let out a yelp of outrage.

Inuyasha secured his arm around her waist and Kagome pounded at his back in frustration.

"Put me down!" She demanded but her breath was taken out of her when he turned around.

"Get your shit, we're leaving now!"

Sango, Miroku, and Shippou almost uniformly sprung back. With that, Inuyasha turned back around and headed for the front of the cave. Kagome caught a wave of nausea for all the spinning.

Kagome opened her mouth to complain again when Inuyasha's growl silenced her.

"Move you stupid wolf or I'll cut you down."

Kagome jerked in alarm but Inuyasha's grip held firm.

She faced the ground behind Inuyasha's back and could only picture the wolf standing between them in the exit.

Kouga's muscles tightened and his hackles rose as a new surge of adrenaline ripped through his body.

"She wants to be put down." He almost spoke through gritted teeth and his voice dropped to a guttural warning, "Put her down."

~*~

Few things, I'm totally going to move this to the Mature rating just to open my options a bit more. So if you're searching for it via search engine you might have to change the options a bit.

Two, if you guys have never heard the song "Lil' red riding hood" by bowling for soup you must check it out. If you catch the Kouga reference it's awesome

And three, the idea behind the story was to be an Inu/Kag/Koug triangle with Kouga and Kagome ending up together in the end. And I realize I haven't been very consistent with that except for the few times Kagome mentions being sad about Kikyou. In fact I'm not even sure I won't change it but whatever the case, I'll try not to confuse people with the inconsistency from now on.


	8. it pours

Kagome's breath sat in her chest long enough to burn when she held it. Even though all she could stare at was the floor underneath her, the tension in the air was thick. Her heartbeat jumped up and she instantly ran over her ideas to intervene. 'Sit' sat at the end of her tongue but she knew that would be a short drop and a crippling impact when she got crushed under him.

Inuyasha suddenly shifted his weight, his free hand going to rest on the hilt of his Tetsusaiga. Kagome opened her mouth. "Inuyasha, you know you can't fight while your holding me up here so put me down." She raised her voice a bit but didn't yell. The small pleading in her voice made his ears twitch and Kagome could feel a silent rumbling in his chest.

"We don't have time for this wolf. We're going to find Naraku."

A bell of realization rung at the name and Kouga stiffened. His eyes never left the dog demon before him but his thoughts strayed. The human behind him spoke up, closing the distance between himself and Inuyasha. He reached out a hand and gently touched the dog demon's sleeves.

"Have you found something, Inuyasha?" Miroku asked cautiously.

Kagome tried to move her weight but found it futile. Her stomach muscles started to ache and the blood kept rushing to her head but her companion's attention was going elsewhere.

"More than something." Inuyasha tightened his arm around Kagome and looked over. "I know where he is and if we have any chance of catching him we have to leave now."

Sango gasped behind them all and everyone in the cave shifted uncomfortably.

"You think we're ready to attack him now?" Sango asked, her fingers tightening around the strap of her boomerang.

"I'm ready to attack him now." Inuyasha twisted back around to look in the front of the cave.

Some of the blood left Kouga's head. The rage that had been building dissipated a bit, but the back of his mind stayed very aware of the way Inuyasha was holding _his_ Kagome. But if they really found Naraku, Kouga would be damned if he wasn't going to go take that demon's head.

Sango and Miroku had shot each other a long look. The group had rested but was it enough to attack Naraku? Inuyasha and the demon had faced off before and it wasn't quite as easy as Inuyasha would like to think. They could just be walking into a death trap. But how important would this opportunity be? It may not come again for a long time.

"Did you find out why Naraku had gone under cover?" Miroku asked, his thoughts spinning together.

Inuyasha shrugged his free shoulder. "I'll explain what I found out on the way. But we don't have much time to be squandering here."

Kouga folded his arms when the dog demon turned his attention back to him. "I'm coming with you then and I'm going to be the one to kill Naraku."

Inuyasha opened his mouth to snap back but Sango sprung forward to stop him.

"Listen Inuyasha, if this is true we'll need all the help we can get." Sango tried to reason.

Kouga nodded at the human's reasoning, mildly thinking of the girl's rationality.

"Plus mutt, I'll be there to make sure you don't get my Kagome killed."

Kagome jumped at the reference but bit her lip and stilled herself. No one over examined the comment and Inuyasha just gave a usual growl.

"I don't care what the wolf does but he will not get in my way." The hanyou suddenly kicked into motion and ran toward the front of the cave.

Kouga swept out of the way, his mind shifting focus to inform Ginta and Hakkaku of his absence. The human companions rushed by him in effort to keep up with the hanyou that'd jumped out of the cave.

Kagome squeaked when they hit the ground again, the breath being rushed for her.

"Please put me down Inuyasha, you're making me dizzy." She pleaded this time, the blood in her head making the edges of her vision black. Inuyasha obliged this time, tugging her forward and putting her on her feet. Kagome barely caught her balance in time and came to an awkward stand. She pressed an absent hand to her stomach where the muscles protested angrily.

Inuyasha looked away from her, eyes focusing on the ground.

"What's up with you lately? I understand we're in a rush." She grumbled, vaguely aware of the others slowly crawling out of the wolf den. Inuyasha's rushing had put them a good half a mile apart.

"Feh." Inuyasha spoke quietly. "I can smell that wolf all over you."

Kagome's spine snapped straight with a bolt of electricity that caught every nerve. She barely caught the gasp before it left her mouth and her nails dug into her palms.

"Uh what?" The words escaped her as the blood left her face.

Inuyasha didn't answer immediately so Kagome found herself spitting out, "He gave his bed to me for the night."

The unspoken implication that Kouga wasn't in the bed with her was already there and Inuyasha wrapped his arms around his chest.

"It's an ugly scent. You should take a bath."

Kagome couldn't help but let her face twist with scandal but the dog demon didn't seem to care. He turned to look behind her to yell at the others to rush.

Kagome didn't follow. Her mouth thinned and she couldn't help but frown. Ugly scent?

"Kirara." Sango's voice reached them and then the growl as the small animal transformed.

"We can follow you faster like this. You need to lead the way." Sango announced when they got there.

Kagome finally turned when she felt the pulse of the jewel shards. Kouga appeared next to them in his usual tornado and he slid to a stop. His eyes scanned the surroundings and landed on the girl whose sorrow spoke loudly upon her stature. His lips peeled back around his fangs but he didn't say anything when the girl didn't look at him.

"Take Kagome and we'll follow." Sango told the dog demon.

Inuyasha turned about to the girl. For the briefest second, Kagome caught his amber eyes before he moved to brush past her.

"Kouga can take her, I'm sure he wants to." The hanyou's words barely reached the others before he took off in a run. Kagome's mouth fell open and she couldn't help but let out a squeak of shock. Sango and Miroku shifted awkwardly and stayed silent.

"Wow, what's gotten into him?" Shippou asked for the group and sprung up on to Kirara's back.

Even Kouga found himself without words as he stared at the dog-demons back. He knew the hanyou couldn't possibly know about him and Kagome. Yes, he might be able to smell Kouga on her but that didn't mean anything. Scents didn't work that way—there would be no reason to believe there had been anything that happened short of Kagome telling him. And the shock on the girl's face clearly told him she didn't. Kouga had been careful to guard his own emotions. No, there was no way the dog demon could know. Not this soon especially.

Kagome's heart churned and she couldn't help but let the hurt show all over her features. Her shoulders drew together and her face dropped. She watched the space where the hanyou had once stood and after a minute answered Shippou's question.

"I really don't know." She whispered.

~*~

A/N: Hey guys. I really don't have much to ramble about at the end of this chapter so I'll make it short and simple. Review or favorite!


	9. To be far far away from me

Sango ran her hands through Kirara's fur as the demon bounded in the air. She busied herself for a moment absently staring at the trees that rushed past them below but Miroku brought her attention back.

"Sango, what do you think?" The monk leaned to his right to be able to peer at the girl's face in front of him. Sango twitched but reluctantly turned to look back.

"About Inuyasha?" She already knew.

The dog-demon had shocked them all when he brushed by Kagome demanding she find another "ride". Or moreso, let Kouga carry her since he abruptly had a change in character and refused. Sango frowned thinking about it. It took them a few minutes to coax the poor girl out of her shock and convince her to let Kouga carry her. The wolf demon even went about it hesitantly. This was not how they needed to start one of their most dangerous ventures ever.

The thought made her look back down to the ground where she could see the spinning dust. Kouga had swept Kagome up in both arms like he'd had only a few days ago and ran with her. Of course, he'd slowed himself to their pace and the tornado was only mild.

"Or more appropriately what's gotten into him. I've never seen him treat Kagome-sama in such a way." Miroku added.

"I know he went looking for Kikyou. So maybe it isn't really a what but more of a who." When the words left her a moment of silence developed over them and even Shippou twiddled his thumbs.

Miroku leaned back and raised his voice so they could hear him over the shifting wind.

"Even if he found Kikyo, like he has in the past, I don't understand why this would make him so hostile towards Kagome. But then that begs us to consider, what do you think he found when he found Kikyou?"

Sango dug her fingers into Kirara's fur with more ferocity and shook her head. "That's just it. Even if we could picture scenarios of Kikyou being hurt or not, I can't imagine why that would cause Inuyasha to act this way to _Kagome_."

Shippou perked up. "He wasn't just acting like a jerk to Kagome. He's wasn't very nice to us either."

Miroku and Sango seemed to consider that for the briefest of seconds and then shifted their thoughts.

"Do you remember if Kikyou was even hurt during the last battle?" Sango asked, straining her memory. "I know the scorpion ran toward her, but I don't know if it actually hit."

Miroku nodded and continued for her, "Inuyasha had gotten to her around that time. I can't imagine she'd been hurt."

"But she must have or he wouldn't have ran after her, right?" Sango continued their exchange.

Shippou stood up to get the attention back. "Since when does Inuyasha ever need a reason to go after Kikyou though?"

The tiny kitsune brought up a good point and left the others forced to lap into silence.

Miroku shifted the staff in his hold bringing a protest of jingles. He suddenly took a breath and lowered his voice.

"Perhaps we're over examining this. Perhaps it's more simple."

Sango shifted around to get a better view and urged him to go on. Miroku took a second again to organize his thoughts before continuing delicately.

"We know Inuyasha has had feelings for Kikyou and both Kagome-sama. But perhaps he's found Kikyou and chosen her. And now is—"

Sango finished for him, bringing a hand up to her mouth, "distancing himself from Kagome."

Miroku nodded in the stressed air. "The more he puts her away from him, the less difficult it would be."

Sango frowned and cast a brief look to the tornado below them.

"I'm afraid you might be right."

Below them, Kagome's thought swirled around the very same dog demon. She sighed, trying to shift the weight in her chest without moving too much in Kouga's arms. The wolf demon didn't intrude on her thoughts much, holding her uncertainly to give her as much privacy as he could. Kagome found herself somewhat thankful for the warmth his arms provided her but couldn't let her thoughts go. She leaned her head against the armor and didn't bother to fight the hurt emotions.

She'd known Inuyasha for a fair time and never seem him act so….bitterly contemptuous. She vaguely wondered if Kikyou was what brought this. During the last battle, Inuyasha had carried her on his back as she tried to fire a sacred arrow to hit the Shikon jewel in the demons head. His moving kept messing up his aim when Kikyou appeared. The demon charged her and Inuyasha dropped her. Kagome's hip throbbed at the memory and she tried to shake it. Maybe Kikyou got hurt because he was holding her and now blamed her for it. After all, Inuyasha's love for Kikyou was unquestionable.

Kouga perked up when he felt the girl in his arms curl herself even tighter. The smell of her sorrow was being swept away by the wind and he at first didn't mind just feeling the warmth of her body so close to his. But any enjoyment he got out of it—especially since the shock that the mutt even would allow him to carry Kagome—was being killed by her mood.

"He doesn't know about us, Kagome." Kouga finally spoke up but didn't look at her. He made an effort to push the excess anxiety down to his feet to keep running. "His nose can't tell. He's just being the usual stupid puppy he always is."

Kagome shifted when she heard Kouga talk. Her memory briefly fluttered back to Inuyasha telling her she smelt like Kouga's "ugly scent". The idea made her irritation flutter back up for a second. With the single distraction, Kagome shifted again with the small room she had and urged her energy back.

"Whatever, he'll get over it in a few days." She tried to assure herself more than him. In a second, she pictured sitting him into the core of the earth for him being so utterly rude but dropped it.

Kagome took in her surroundings with more careful observation this time and let out a breath.

"Thank you for carrying me again Kouga. I probably should have asked instead of letting Inuyasha offer you up like that."

Kouga turned to look at her with that sentence and let a brilliant cocky smile grace his face. "Of course I would carry you. You're my woman after all."

Kagome's face burned before she could react and she mentally kicked herself for giving him the opening. A brief thought urged her to bury her face back in his chest but she resisted knowing he could hear the pick up in her heart rate anyways.

She did avoid his eyes, opting instead to let her eyes absently focus on the ground next to her. She wanted to chide him for being a brat and embarrassing her, but she knew she couldn't talk with the way she reacted to his stupid stare. Kagome chided herself instead, urging her heart rate to get it together and stop making her act like a school girl with a crush. After all, Kagome mentally reminded herself, it wasn't her crush that was the over-kill here. And they did kiss after all. She wasn't just reacting to _nothing_.

Her thought train really didn't help when she looked back toward that stupid cocky smile and focused on those very lips that'd graced her mind. Kagome blushed worse but owned it, instead popping her chin up with a superior attitude and settled on "You're running kinda slow Kouga. The others will be far ahead of us by now" instead.

The wolf demon pulled her closer to his chest, with a gentle rumble of laughter, and kicked the ground to speed up.

~*~

So, as you can all see this is a plot _with_ them getting together and not a plot just _of_ them getting together. There will be other awesome stuff but the awesome pairing will be there with it.


	10. In theory anyways

Kouga slid to a stop so suddenly Kagome let out a squeak of surprise. He tightened his grip as the heels of his feet tore up the dust below them to ease him to a stop.

Kagome blinked in the orange dust storm, and turned to see what had stopped them. Inuyasha stood still with his back toward them, watching out through the woods. Kagome tapped Kouga's chest urging him to put her down. The wolf demon complied at the same moment Kirara swept down from the sky and landed on the ground.

"Inuyasha, where are we going?" Miroku called out, springing off Kirara as soon as she'd touched down.

Inuyasha didn't turn at first, his shoulder stiffening.

Kagome stepped forward, trying to see through the forest that Inuyasha stared at. They seemed to be at the base of a mountain. Kagome looked up at the rocky jump in the land at the distance. They'd still had to be miles away from being able to climb it. But Inuyasha had stopped at the very foot hills before the trees ever ended.

"We wait." The dog demon dropped to the ground and folded his legs. Snatching his sword up, he rested it in crook of his elbow before he tucked his arms away in his billowing sleeves. Kagome turned to catch a clue from her companions to only find them staring back with that same confusion.

Kouga folded his arms in annoyance but kept quiet for a moment. It only took another second for Inuyasha to speak again.

"Naraku's here. Ahead of us in one of these caves. The entire mountain is protected by one of his shields but he opens it to let one of his demons out once in awhile. Soon."

Miroku nodded, moving forward to spy at the area ahead of them. He stroked his staff, and added "I can feel the dark aura from here. So you think when it's open anyone may pass?"

Inuyasha turned his head to catch a glimpse of what was behind him.

"He probably has demons there to protect it because anyone can walk through. But that won't matter if we cut those demons down."

Sango walked forward to join Miroku, straining her eyes to take in every inch of her surroundings. The plan made sense in theory. "How do you know when it will open next?"

She fingered the strap of her boomerang uncertainly. The dark aura was there, foreboding, and overwhelming to pinpoint to any one spot. It gave her chills thinking about it.

Inuyasha let out a long breath, the tension in his shoulders only becoming more apparent, and shook his head.

"The villages nearby have been getting attacked every time he lets one of his demons out…to collect whatever it is he needs. Usually it's every two weeks, but it's been longer now. So anytime now, he should be forced to send one out."

Sango followed the logic, wondering to herself if it would really be that simple. But the simplest answer is usually the right one. "What do you think he's doing in there?"

"Creating another incarnate or absorbing some lesser demon while he connives to kill more people." Inuyasha sneered and refocused on the mountain in front of him.

"And you're sure this is where they're coming out?" Sango clarified, backing herself to stand near Miroku.

Inuyasha just nodded. "I'm sure."

Sango bit her lip and turned back toward the others. Kagome stood by unsure when Kouga took a threatening step toward the dog demon.

The bloody hanyou was barely even looking at them. More so, he had no reason to believe any of this nonsense. It couldn't be that easy or Kouga would have come across these rumors long ago. The dark aura was everywhere but it wasn't anywhere the strongest. He was half sure he could break through the barriers on his own without the waiting game.

Kagome perked up when the wolf next to her took a step and shot out her hand. Catching his forearm, she tightened her grasp to catch his attention.

"Kouga, give us a minute." She pleaded when the wolf prince's expression had gone dark with annoyance.

The demon's thoughts were lost when she touched him, and he turned toward her. Grabbing the hand that held him, he covered her entire fist with his own palm.

"This mutt isn't getting us anywhere." Kouga growled but Kagome just shook her head.

Kagome tried to give him a weak smile, looking at their clasped hands. Her mind didn't stray long on how that might have looked but refocused on the emergency on hand.

"I'm sure Inuyasha wouldn't bring us here if he didn't have good reason." She rationalized.

The wolf frowned, reluctantly staying quiet, and letting the girl pull away from him. Kagome walked up to where Miroku and Sango repositioned themselves and wrapped her arms around her chest. The demonic aura left a chill in the air even though the wind was still.

"Kagome-sama." Miroku greeted her when she joined their circle. He cast a quick glance toward where the hanyou had positioned himself twenty feet away and lowered his voice.

"What do you think?" He asked them again.

Sango took a breath and let her thoughts gather for a second. "Kagome's right. He wouldn't bring us here if he didn't really believe it."

Miroku shrugged. "That may be so, but where did how would he know this all? Doesn't it seem like a kind of strangely valuable piece of information to stumble upon? It could for that very reason be a trap."

Kagome frowned at the idea.

"Perhaps he's just reluctant to tell us where he got the information." Sango said, but the unspoken words ran through everyone's mind.

'Maybe he found out from Kikyou.'

Kagome turned her eyes to stare at the hanyou's back. Any other time she would go up and demand to know more but a coldness surrounded him now. His earlier bitterness still sat in the back of her mind and just thinking about talking to him chased her nerves away.

"Regardless, I do believe it'd be worth it to wait it out." Miroku finally decided. Kagome backed up a bit, closer to Kouga when they're conversation ended.

She twisted around and tried to give the wolf prince another reassuring smile. But Kouga nodded without much reluctance. If this was a fair chance, then he could wait. Especially if it left him with more time with his woman.

Train of thoughts changing tracks, he let his eyes wander over Kagome. From the shoes, to the tantalizing short skirt she always wore, to her oversized brown eyes. He smirked to himself when she caught his gaze and jerked her face to look away. Her cheeks flushed but not enough to stand out much.

He hadn't entirely considered exactly how things were going to go with Kagome. Although, he acknowledged that he wouldn't let the hanyou sweep her up and keep her to himself for months on end. And though he wasn't happy about it, he knew Kagome would have her own say on how they would go about everything.

He suddenly found himself annoyed that the human companions were around. He would have swept her up in his arms and waited in a much happier spot.

Abruptly, the monk spoke up.

"Say, Kagome-sama, can you feel the jewel shards?"

Kagome blinked, absorbing the words, and straightened out.

"Oh," She paused and took a breath. Closing her eyes, she tried to clear out her mind. There was a heavy pulse next to her, Kouga's shards.

She tried to shift her focus but found the pressure still the strongest next to her.

"I can feel Kouga's shards," she looked at him for a second, "I just need to move away to concentrate."

Urging him to stay still, she jogged forward, passing the hanyou. Sliding down a small rock base, she jogged up to the spot she could begin to see the purple aura in front of her. Kagome hesitated for a second, and pushed forward assuring herself she would just get to the edge of shield.

The dark aura kept up but Kagome double took, trying to see the shield. The purple glow kept getting further and she pinched her brow as she started to jog farther. Why hadn't she reached it yet?

Kagome slid to a stop and when she heard Inuyasha's voice call in the distance. Turning, she tried to see the hanyou behind her. The purple aura suddenly became visible all around her. Kagome sucked in a breath, frantically trying to pinpoint where the shield was. Instead of the wall she'd been chasing, it seemed to fall all around her.

Kagome's heart started to race as her mind started to click. Did she ever hit the shield or did she walk straight into it?

'No, this isn't right, it would have stopped me!'

Kagome started to run back the way she came but the purple haze around her grew heavier. She stopped when it pressed down on her hard, like gravity instantly grew stronger than ever before.

"Inuyasha!" She called to where she'd heard the voice before. Squinting, she tried to separate the purple from the trees, the sky, the rock base she'd jumped over. It blurred to much together for her to even remotely judge the distance. And then movement caught her eye. Inuyasha charged toward her, sword raised. Kagome gasped when he stopped with a shuttering force.

"Damn it Kagome, get out of there!" He cried out toward her and Kagome froze.

How did the shield let her through? How'd she pass through it without even realizing it?

The feel of Kouga's shard had completely drifted from her sight and her heart started to twist. Turning back around, she looked at the base of the mountain. Shrubs and rocks scattered around, and gaps where caves had formed themselves started to show.

Kagome's heart pounded and she took an uncertain step backward when the suffocating pressure on her shoulders grew worse. She twisted back around trying to find Inuyasha only to find the empty spot he'd been in. The purple grew darker until the outside was almost blocked out.

Kagome hesitated, trying to find a new direction to go in. And then it hit her. A thundering impact rushed her side and Kagome gasped when she tumbled back.

Crawling to face at her attacker, Kagome screamed.

A large man stood in front of her, a long braid sweeping down to his feet, and purple markings twisting around his body like paint. Kagome focused in when she saw it. A large spider showed itself among the markings and the demon roared with laughter. Its red eyes stared back at her, piercing when it grinned a toothily smile.

"Run little girl." He told her.

And Kagome ran.

~*~

A/N: I could go into how much I hated writing this chapter and how you can probably tell my half-assing everything while in desperate attempt to try to get my real work done. Alas though, I will not. After all, I only seem to get death threats for TIET(don't ask me why…).

Anyways, I'm going to try sooooo hard to get the next chapter on in time but showing love and support would be great help for you guys.


	11. See your soul

Kouga ran, barely even touching the floor as he darted through the air. He skid to a stop and twisted, slamming his fist into the purple shield with a shuddering force. It reverberated but even with the power of the sacred jewel shard refused to budge.

A jolt of ice went through his spine, and Kouga let his head fall back to look at it.

"Damnit, Kagome!" He grit his teeth as the alarm continued to shock his nerves.

He could see the misty purple rise all the way into the sky where the mountain formed. The evil aura that formed it stunk of Naraku and turned the air around him cold and still.

Kouga's heart churned and he landed his fist down with another crippling blow. The shield met his hand with an unmovable resistance and made his fall back again.

He could hear the dog demon slam into the shield, much the same, about a mile down. The demon Kirara and the humans flew overhead, trying to find an end to the shield, trying to find a way it.

Kouga's breath left him as every minute ticked by. He couldn't smell her anymore, couldn't hear her, and couldn't _find_ her anywhere. She disappeared behind the purple shield before anyone had fully realized and as if it shifted with her presence, it thickened and blocked out the other side.

"Naraku, give her back!" He screamed with frustration.

Only hearing his own voice echo back to him among the trees, he fell back another step. The alarm kept rippling down his body and Kouga squeezed his fists tighter.

Turning, he started to run again. Rushing to rescue her—to rescue his Kagome.

~*~

Kagome forced herself forward, finding the pressure lay upon her shoulders almost suffocating. But every step she took, she could hear the monster behind her following—his footsteps causing the very ground to shake.

The loud smash with his every step forced Kagome's heart faster. She blinked, looking through the fog to see the mountain. Taking a chance, she rushed toward it feeling the shield's pressure lightening up as she did. 'Of course,' She almost kicked herself, 'if I get away from the shield I can get away from him.'

When the final pressure left her, she pulled out quicker than before but sprung back when the demon jumped into the air. He landed in front of her, the rock base under him crumpling under his weight, and he snapped his red eyes up to meet her. Kagome squeaked, turning to run the left of him.

She started to stray back to the right once she had cleared him, her eyes drilled on gap between the mountain bases. Her heart skipped a beat when the demon jumped again, landing in her desired path.

Kagome let out a scream of frustration and fear, scattering back to balance herself, and scanning her eyes with a frenzy—trying to spot a path still open to her.

There was a cave left in front of her and the demon laughed when she made a motion to it.

A thought jolted her.

'He's herding me!'

Undeterred, she still ran to the cave, unwilling to stop. The cave was dark, the light from the outside barely crawling into it more than a few feet. Kagome squinted, unwilling to go further into the darkness. Drawing her nerves, she posted herself against and wall and faced him.

"What do you want with me?" She drew a hand up to her neck, unconsciously cupping the sacred jewel shards around her neck.

She debated for the quickest of seconds whether or not to just give the demon her shards if he'd let her go. If she could get to Kouga and Inuyasha, she'd be able to get them back. The plan gave her the quickest second of comfort. She would get back to them and then they'd go back to fight Naraku together.

"I want to look at you, girl." He drew out each word, a hissing wrapping itself up in each syllable.

Kagome went cold.

"My name is Cerritosmato, I am what you call… Naraku's incarnate."

Kagome pressed herself closer into the wall.

"Yea, I could get that much." She still sniped from her spot.

"I have been created for such a very special purpose. For you my girl." He grinned showing his spiky teeth.

Suddenly, he snapped a hand out and twisted his fingers to curl around the air. Cranking his head back, his red eyes went back until Kagome could see nothing but the whites of his eyes.

Her breath left her.

"I can see it. I can see your soul." His head moved back down, his eyes refocusing in the darkness.

Kagome gasped when a wave of nausea rippled through her body.

A tingling took over her limbs and she flexed her fingers to remind herself that they weren't missing. And then there was a shifting in her chest, a knot that pulled itself from inside her.

Kagome fell to the floor, throwing her hands behind her as the drawing got worse. Waves of nausea washed through her body with a rhythmic pattern and she let out a choked sob.

The feeling grew worse, expanding wider through her entire abdomen and churning.

The demon watched expectedly.

Then a mass of light came, blinding for seconds until it dimmed and faded containing itself in a small gap.

Kagome sobbed, the luminosity emerging from her chest and causing the room to glow.

'What is this?' Her thoughts scrambled, 'is this my soul?'

The demon nodded as if he knew her thoughts.

"Yes, yes, this is the soul Naraku wishes me to find. This is the soul Naraku wishes me to destroy."

He crept forward, and Kagome wanted to pull away but found herself unable to move.

The light flickered, morphing and twisting to form an orb. Kagome's fingers encircled it where it landed, the orb dancing with light and electric blue jolts that sprung around it.

The demons grin went crooked, and then faltered and disappeared.

"Something I have not foreseen perhaps." He strode forward and Kagome flinched with agony when the magic held her from moving away.

He hunched over, leaning closer to the ball of light she held in her palms. Jerking his head closer, he twisted it around, eyes dancing over the orb with careful precision. He lifted a hand and stopped it just an inch away, snapping out his index finger to point at it.

"You girl," His eyebrows pinched and he shifted in his stance to continue his examination. The electrical blue that flashed around the ball stayed dim and an inch away from his face. Kagome's eyes focused on it hard enough for her eyes to burn. She squinted, catching her breath in her throat for an agonizing moment.

"You are missing part of your soul." He leaned back to fully stand, his index finger curling and tapping his temple with a soft thud. He jerked his attention back to her face and Kagome pulled harder against the unyielding trap. Her muscles protested with pain and the nausea that seemed to bitterly focused on her throat got worse.

"Now how did you do that?" He asked, puzzlement reaching his red depths and he abruptly shook his head, not expecting Kagome's answer.

"I can't quite believe you passed the boundary like this. So utterly incomplete. But your soul is massive and strong even though it is broken down the middle. So curious."

He reached his arms back, cracking his shoulder joints with a loud pop and groaned. Turning on his heel, he spun up some dirt as he began to pace.

"This will not do. This will not do." He told himself with increasing conviction. In another moment, he revolved back around and broadened his stance. Tensing himself, he hunched down into an offensive position, reaching out his hands again. The markings on his body began to pulse with that ugly black and gold aura, its energy resonating off the walls of the cave.

Kagome cringed, her muscles shaking with the persistence of the magical constraint. The orb in her hands grew hot and began to morph out of its shape. It hissed and jerked around like putty unable to pick its form.

Kagome gasped at the strange jolts it pushed threw her body and her hand muscles flickered. And then moved.

She let out a breath, eyes rushing toward the incarnate when she twitched her finger again. It obliged, moving the tiny distance and tingled with a new fuzziness.

Kagome could move. Her mind screamed at the sudden conquest and she readied herself, unsure of what to do next.

~*~

A/N: There will be much more Kouga/Kag in the coming chapters. Fear not. And if you caught the reference to the broken soul, I was referring to the part Kikyo has. I mean, that was once part of Kagome's soul right? Well, this is my reasoning. Anyways, drop me a line. I'll pop the next chapter up tomorrow.


	12. If you want to get out alive

She clenched her fingers, drawing to form as much of as fist as she could while still wary of the glowing orb. The orb burst in heat and suddenly popped like a balloon. The light rushed back toward her and up into her fingers like electricity.

The tips of her fingers still glowed, and Kagome let her mouth fall over at the instantly cold sensation. She twitched her fingers for a second, watching the blue electricity run over them and her skin shine white.

Cerritomatso let out a rumbling growl and Kagome stiffened. The demon jerked forward, arms out to grab her. Backpedaling from where she could on the floor, she shoved her back up against the hard wall. In half a second, she threw her hands out in front of her.

The blue electricity jolted outward and shocked him. The demon fell back with a growl that echoed over the cave.

"How dare you—"

Kagome didn't let him finish. Scrambling to her feet, she still held her hands steady. Before the demon could react, she pushed herself forward. Grabbing the arm he held in front of him, she rushed to twist her hands over his forearm.

And Kagome screamed.

The electricity shot from her and her bones began to burn with agony. But the demon pulled back, a howl escaping him, deafening the room. Kagome squeezed her eyes shut as the power forced threw her. Her muscles ached, and heart nearly threatened to stop itself. It stirred around in her chest and a cold rush froze her spine over.

She grit her teeth, while protests of pain escaped her lips in whimpers. Her arms were throbbing and Kagome snapped her eyes opened. The light blinded her and she squinted. It started to crawl up the demons forearm, twisting around with the blue electricity.

Kagome willed it forward, pressing down on her nerves to try not to give in to the very torture. She gasped, letting her mouth fall open. It felt like she was killing herself.

Cerritomatso suddenly shifted. Snatching a hand out, he grabbed both her arms and yanked her to a stand. Kagome faltered at the tight grip and nearly lost her balance. The demon tightened his grip to a crippling one, and abruptly grinned.

Kagome's breath got away from her again.

A new wave of fire caught her nerves and nearly blinded her. She gasped for a breath, blinking her eyes as his grip got tighter. And then she saw it. A sickly wave of dark green and black crawled over her hands like blood.

Her nerves failed, and her skin began to smolder.

"Trying to purify me are you?" He ripped her forward again and Kagome fell to her knees.

Her arms still caught in his grasp, she let a scream escape her when the agony continued.

"I'll blacken your soul and your sacred jewel shards with it." He leaned over her, predatorily. "No human is adverse to be corrupted."

Kagome let out a whimper as the green and black crawled over her arm, leaving smoke in its wake. She shut her eyes and tried to sound out the screeching that screamed in her brain.

A moment a thought passed her of having her soul corrupted, she nearly crumpled. Maybe, maybe it would just be easier to give in. A voice in the back of her mind promised her, whispered that it would just be like drifting off to sleep.

But Kagome resisted. 'I can't let them win!' Kagome told herself, squeezing her eyes shut tighter.

But the green kept creeping and left her nerves trembling in its wake. She jerked her head to the side and tried to sound it out.

If she was corrupted, then what would happen to her friends? A sudden flash of her companions went through her mind. She saw Inuyasha for the barest of seconds, and her heart churned. What would happen to Inuyasha? Or what would happen to Kikyou? Her heart twisted tighter and Kagome let out a breath.

And then a sense of clarity washed the pain away. Inuyasha loved Kikyou. She saw them together…Kikyou, the woman she was supposed to be an incarnate of. The woman who had part of her soul. What would happen to Kikyou if Kagome let this happen? Would she have the same fate and then Inuyasha would be alone?

Kagome opened her eyes in the sudden realization.

Even if Kagome couldn't be with Inuyasha she loved him enough to protect Kikyou. Kagome let out a breath and she turned back to her attacker.

And Kouga… A flash of the wolf prince and her sitting at the edge of the cliff in his den crossed her mind. His face crossed her mind, his smile crossed her mind. She could almost feel his warm hand encircling hers, smell the waterfall, and feel the wind breeze by her face. A new sense of happiness wrapped around her heart with a strange fuzziness.

Kagome stiffened and tightened her grip of Cerritomato. Her eyes set with a new determination and she gathered her nerves. She couldn't die for both Kikyou and for Kouga's sake. She wouldn't put them through that. She couldn't die and let Naraku have the jewel shards. She couldn't endanger her friends anymore. And she couldn't give in.

Kagome clenched her teeth and screamed, the fuzziness that had encircled her heart racing outward. Through her arms and finger tips, stripping off the blood-like substance and shredding it like tissue paper.

Kagome screamed when she felt the fuzziness explode away from her and the blue electricity escape her fingertips.

Her eyes widen when the light exploded and Cerritomato let out a chilling cry. The light kept expanding, blowing through the walls of the cave.

Kagome's heart fluttered and her eyelids started to drift shut. She found herself unable to breath and her muscles relaxed. Her hands fell away from the demons and she was absently aware of falling back onto the hard dirt. Her vision blackened at the edges and then completely slipped away.

~*~

Kouga slid to a stop. Instantly, he felt the aura and threw his hands over himself as light exploded outward. The shield shattered like glass and plummeted downward.

Kouga cursed, quickly springing free of the area with the jewel shards burning in his lungs. He leapt to a branch of a tree and jerked around, his eyes rushing to absorb what just happened.

His nerves screamed at him tensely, and his mouth fell open.

The shield dissipated before it hit the ground and he double took when he saw the clear mountain.

Before he could think, he jumped free and raced toward the rocks. He tried to scent her, his heart pounding in his chest and nearly deafening him. He slid to a halt when he caught a flash of red.

Inuyasha.

He dashed after him, adrenaline exploding to burn in his muscles, and he managed to pass the dog demon.

He stopped, freezing in his spot when he saw her.

Kagome lay on the ground, her face white and covered in dirt. He couldn't hear her heart beat.

Inuyasha slid up next to him, pulling his sword free of its sheath. He ducked to the girl's side instantly and yet Kouga couldn't convince himself to move.

She looked…dead.

Inuyasha hands scrambled as he raced to find her heartbeat. He finally settled on pressing his palm to his chest, his own pulse throbbing so loudly he had a hard time telling the different. His ears flattened and he leaned closer.

Yes, she was breathing.

Inuyasha let out whimper of relief that sounded unreal, even to him. He sucked in a breath and turned to Kouga.

"Listen to me, I need you to run her back to Kaede's village. Run her back and get the old miko to help."

Kouga didn't move at first and Inuyasha screamed louder. "Do it now!"

Without a second more of hesitation, he scooped up the limp girl and ran for her life.

~*~

A/N: Okay, I could go into my internal thought process of how I would have torn this chapter to shreds had I actually been trying to get it published but thought it worked for fanfiction. More so, I hope you guys could follow the actions going on and suspect what happened but it will be clarified in the next chapters.

Anyways, one last important note. I'm changing this to the Mature rating tomorrow Monday the 21st so look for it there.


	13. Empty

The villagers scattered when they saw him skid to a halt. He could hear them screaming as they went and Kouga twirled around growling. He knew this must be the old lady's village. Though unfamiliar with her, the humans scent reeked here.

His lips peeled back over his fangs and he drew her closer, trying to pinpoint where exactly was supposed to go next.

But it came to him.

"Lady Kaede!" He heard one of the villagers call and he turned to see the old woman emerging from the hut.

Her face twisted in confusion at first until her eyes dropped to the girl in Kouga's arms. Her mouth instantly fell and she gasped out "Kagome!"

Kouga closed the distance between them, the anxiety making his muscles ache to rush.

"I need you to help her." He grounded out through his clenched teeth. Kaede jerked a nod and beckoned him back into the hut. She held the straw mat door open for him and he slipped in.

"Set her down on the bed." Kaede instructed.

Kouga carefully set her down blankets, carefully positioning her head of the fluffy white pillow. He drew away a bit but kept his caught one of her hands and held it as if he could pour his nervousness away and into her.

"What happened?" Kaede dropped to Kagome's side with a basin and a small towel clenched in her hands.

The old woman immediately touched the girl's neck searching for a pulse. Kouga didn't really answer, watching her carefully afraid he'd miss something.

"She's breathing," Kaede nodded to herself and went to pull up Kagome's shirt.

Barely exposing the pale white navel, Kaede glanced up at him to catch his eyes.

"Do you know where she was injured?"

Kouga shook his head and told her, "I don't know. We just found her like this."

Kaede placed the basin onto the wooden floor and dipped the cloth in the cold water until it was drenched.

"Please Kouga. Cut her clothes free with your claws. I need to find her wound."

Kouga heard the words before completely understanding them, but he lifted his free right hand and hesitated.

The thoughts of disrobing Kagome didn't strike him nearly as much as a deep rooted fear he'd uncover a bloody and fatal wound. His heart kept twisting.

Moving a trembling hand, he took a breath and tried to concentrate. The tiny white fabric sliced through clean and he touched the hem of her skirt. In another second, he cut it through.

Kaede eased the fabric away, dropping the cloth in a crumbled bundle on the floor. Kouga watched her for a second before his eyes roamed over Kagome's form.

The absence of a wound struck him first and he twitched his nose remembering he hadn't smelt blood. But then his eyes caught the curvature of her backside, the definition of her hips, the smooth skin over her stomach and the cleavage of her breasts that bosomed up through the odd fabric that covered them.

His face warmed with some strange realization he was invading her privacy and he turned away. His eyes instead caught a blanket in the end of the room. He stretched out and snatched the soft fabric and drew it to his side, some absent thought of eventually needing to cover her up.

He looked back, trying to quash the sudden twanging in his chest—and yet the image of her never quite left his mind.

Kaede shook her head, the frustration reaching her scent and drawing Kouga out of his trance.

"I don't understand. There is no wound." She let her wondering hands drop to her sides. "And yet she stands near death. There's something strange."

Kaede reached for the wet cloth and draped it over Kagome's forehead. The girl didn't even shift in response.

Kouga's heart dropped when he focused back on the girls pale face. Drawing the blanket closer, he covered the girl up. His mind snapped over to wonder if the room was too cold for her to be like that.

"What do you mean woman?" He asked impatiently, his anxiety finding its way back."Could she have been poisoned or something?"

His thoughts darkened when he suggested it but the thought made sense.

"No, I think not." Kaede said.

Kouga suddenly caught the scent of her human companions and glanced back to find them rushing through the door.

"Kagome-sama! How is she?" Miroku asked for both of them and they raced to drop by her side.

Kouga almost growled when they invaded her space so closely but forced himself quiet. Instead, he tightened his grip on her hand.

"Miroku, look at her." Kaede ordered him. "Tell me what you see."

Kouga and Sango instantly shifted, trying to see the unspoken idea that had struck the old miko. Kouga's heart sped up again.

Miroku obeyed, turning to scan the girl in the blanket. He blinked, at first confused, but focused more. Kaede asked _him_ to look. Miroku drew his concentration and tried to feel for Kagome's aura. He gasped.

"She has no aura."

"What, what's that mean?" Kouga growled impatiently.

Kaede held out a hand to silence him and took another moment to draw her thoughts together. She drew a hand up to her chin while in thought, and finally spoke.

"She seems to have no aura. Like she had sucked her soul's energy away."

Kouga cocked his head to the side but stayed quiet. Kaede kept talking.

"Perhaps she purified something. Used up all of her energy. The soul is the very root of purifying abilities."

Miroku jerked his head in agreement. "That would make sense. I felt a large wave of spiritual energy when the shield fell."

"Kaede," Sango spoke up to redirect their thoughts. She reached out a rested a hand on the old woman's shoulder and leaned forward. "What's this mean for Kagome's health?"

"I know very little about how the soul affects the mortal form in ways of health. It happens so rarely. And yet, I think…if Kagome hadn't died at the incident she won't die now. How she would recover from it though, I'm not sure."

Kouga let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. A wash of happiness ran through him and let his muscles ease. He still never let go of her hand.

Sango and Miroku too drew back with the news and let themselves smile weakly.

"I do think," Kaede continued while slowly struggling to stand, "that ye best course of action now is to let her rest under supervision. I shall go and ask inquires among other spiritual guides in the nearby village. I do believe that's the best way for us to learn what we may be dealing with. And it'll do well if she wakes up and can too, help us."

Sango turned to Miroku and where Kirara had curled up on his purple robes.

"Go tell Inuyasha, will you?"

Miroku nodded and excused himself with Kaede.

The two left the room to silence and the weak breathing of the girl under the covers. Sango looked over them.

Kagome's face was washed out but her facial muscles were completely relaxed giving her some type of look of peace. Dirt lightly smeared her cheeks and her hair fell around her in a jumble.

Her eyes slipped down to where Kouga held her hand. The wolf prince didn't look up or even acknowledge her stare. A fair amount of his long black hair had slipped free of his tie and dropped over his face. His blue eyes were completely still and his mouth barely open and frowning, showing just the tip of one of his fangs.

She could feel his apprehension.

Sango drew her hands into her lap and clenched them into fists.

"Kouga." She called his attention, and the wolf prince let his eyes drift over to the human girl. "Will you stay with her and retrieve us if something happens? I feel like I need to go help them search for answers."

When the wolf prince nodded silently, she stood up and crept quietly out the door.

~*~

A/N: Are you wondering about the random updates of the chapters? Yeah, check out my profile. I continue to update the usual news there.


	14. I remember now

"Damnit Kagome." Kouga told the open air. His lip curled downward and fingers traced over Kagome's still hand.

The others had been gone for hours and hadn't returned. The hut fell so quiet, Kouga could only listen to his own thoughts. Or replay his own thoughts.

And thinking about just an hour ago where his Kagome ran off from them and got herself trapped behind the shield wasn't putting his mind at ease. None of them had any reason to believe that may happen…but now it was very apparent that Naraku was out to hurt her in particular.

"Damnit Kagome." He repeated softly when the memories returned of their frantic search to retrieve her behind the shield. "You're not supposed to get that far from my protection. Don't ever do that again."

He dropped his head down to stare at the swirls in the browning wood and let out a breath. The fact that he failed to protect her had become prominent in his mind but then the dog demon didn't either.

Things had changed though, he knew. Kagome wasn't just the girl he was chasing after anymore. Kagome was the girl who had kissed him and returned his interest. Kagome was going to be _his_ woman.

The memory that sprung up of the time at his den elated his heart a bit. He let his eyes trail over to her pale pink lips with the thought. Carefully he reached out and gently brushed them, his heart picking up in speed.

They were soft under his finger tips and he let his thumb trail down her chin, over her jawbone. Barely brushing her neck, he traced it down to her collar bone and stopped at the edge of the blankets.

His thoughts left him for the briefest of seconds.

And then she spoke.

"Kouga?"

He snatched his hand away like it'd been burned.

"Uh Kagome!" He stuttered out, drawing himself back half an inch.

The girl didn't open her eyes but pinched her brow and kept talking.

"…freezing in here."

It took a moment for him to understand the muttered words before he snapped up straighter and glanced around the hut. Squeezing her hand before he let it go, he rushed to retrieve a pile of blankets that had been neatly stacked in the corner near firewood. Returning, he carefully draped it over her, finding his heart pounding loudly enough to make his hands tremble as he did it.

"How you feeling—what did that monster do to you?" Kouga's questions ran over themselves and he awkwardly perched himself by her side again.

His hands kept shaking so he clasped them together roughly in his lap, partly unsure of where the intense emotion arose from.

Kagome's hand shifted, curling around the edge of the blankets that covered her. She twitched when immense fatigue attacked her muscles, but she still opened her eyes.

The room seemed dim and she found herself staring at a wooden ceiling. Her thoughts tried to click the location together but she gave up quickly. Letting her eyes nearly drift to a shut again, she tried to focus on the wolf-prince's question. But her mind was muddled and felt like it'd been stuffed with cotton.

"Um…" she tried to remember.

The sudden image of a twisting purple sky caught her mind and her breath hitched. She opened her eyes again, focusing on the ceiling, when the disturbing image faded away.

'No' Kagome told herself, 'That was a dream'.

She blinked, finding the wooden ceiling shift away to give into the image of the swirling purple sky. She shut her eyes instantly.

No, Kagome kept figuring. There wasn't a purple sky. The shield was purple…but she had been in a cave. Perhaps the two were interrelated? But then Kagome pushed the idea away. No the dream had been terrifying. She wasn't suffocating when she was in that cave.

And then it came to her. Cerritomato, the demon that was sent there to collect her soul. She shifted uncomfortably at the thought. But before it left her she voiced it.

"Um…I didn't see Naraku." She started, aware of the wolf-prince's concentration even with her eyes shut. "I ran into one of his incarnates. One that he created…just for me, he said."

Kouga's lips peeled back over his fangs and he fisted his hands in his lap at her each words. Any relief that Kagome had woken washed away when his thoughts darkened.

"He tried," Kagome tried to word it and found the memory difficult to voice. "Tried to see my soul. He wanted to destroy it but he couldn't."

Kagome lapsed into silence for a second and Kouga snatched up one of her hands. Her skin was freezing and he covered her hand with his palm. Drawing it onto his own lap, he found himself urging her continue.

"Why couldn't he?"

Kagome took an uneven breath and let her eyes barely drift open.

"He said it was broken. I think because Kikyou had some of it."

The wolf prince cocked his head at the odd name but didn't interrupt. He stressed himself to remember everything she said to report to the old lady.

"But then I tried to escape. I tried to purify him with my hands." Kagome said it sounding puzzled herself.

She let her eyes trail to Kouga's face and her heart clenched when she found the frown there. His brows pinched in concentration and his eyes seemed agonized.

Kagome almost wanted to stop to make him feel better. But the idea, she knew, would be futile. Instead she tried to finish the tail end of the story.

"When I grabbed him, he tried to push his energy back into me. Like, his negative energy." She crinkled her nose. "it was burning my hands."

As soon as the idea occurred to her, she jerked her free hand up to the dim light in the room. Blinking uncertainly, she looked over the white skin, flexing her knuckles.

Kouga's gaze too caught it, and he spoke for her.

"There aren't any burns on your hand Kagome." He snatched the hand out of the air and drew it closer to him.

Kagome's cheeks would have warmed if she didn't hurt so much and she let out a sigh.

"Well, at least I thought they were burning. And then…" And then she had remembered Kikyou and Inuyasha. She remembered Kouga. Her heart fluttered and she forced herself to look away.

If the wolf-demon noticed, he didn't say anything.

"And then the energy exploded from me. And I blacked out."

Kouga nodded firmly.

"That's what took down the shield." The story left his stomach twisted and his emotions darkened. He tightened his hands over hers and repressed the anger that boiled up inside him.

"Kouga," She suddenly asked, looking back toward him. "Where are we?"

"Uh—" Caught off guard at first, he tried to remember the old miko's name. "Kaede's hut. We're trying to help you get better."

Kagome's thoughts clicked together and she made a small noise of acknowledgement.

"Are you guys okay?" She then asked, shifting herself under the blankets.

"You should be worrying about yourself Kagome." He bit his tongue before he could chide her about endangering herself. But before they mated, she would certainly get an earful.

His thoughts made his face flushed when he listened to them over again. _When_ they mated. He tried to ignore it.

"Am I not wearing any clothes?" Kagome suddenly asked and Kouga's face burned.

He jerked his head to the side when she pulled one of her hands away and inched the blankets up.

"The old lady insisted on taking them off." He murmured but couldn't quite quash his unsightly reaction.

Kagome's heart skipped a beat when she did find her body free of clothes and she dropped the blankets back down. The surprise hit her harder than the actual fact. She was wearing blankets, and her bra and panties. While nothing she wanted to be caught in by any of her male companions, it wasn't disastrous. Catching Kouga's reaction, she almost thought otherwise.

"So, um…where are the others?" She forced the change in subject, but her voice had gone higher than she liked.

Kouga rushed to fill her in, his words sometimes tumbling over each other before he quickly finished. Slightly confused by his hurry, Kagome didn't say anything. And when Kouga chided her to rest, she did find her strength falling away from her again.

Nodding in agreement, she nuzzled the blankets and slipped off to a dead sleep.

~*~

A/N: sporadic update times right? Check my profile for the explanation.


	15. Missing pieces

A/N: This is proof I'm not dead! I'm going to start updating more regularly in the coming week.

~*~

She wasn't sure how long she'd been in and out. But once in awhile, she'd find herself staring at the wooden ceiling and wracked with the pain that had become fairly familiar. Sango was next to her once, Shippou, and Kouga. She didn't get much of a chance to speak with them. Her world kept fading away before she really got to say much.

And all they ever tried to do was to force cold water down her throat. It took awhile in darkness before she ever woke up with a semi-clear head again.

She almost swore she felt his presence before she saw it.

"Kouga," Kagome breathed when she saw the shadow of the wolf through her eyelids.

She opened her eyes to watch him as he sat down by her side. His face wasn't happy though, shadows covering over it, and a distinct frown on his face.

"How are you feeling?" He twitched his knuckles as his heart kept up that obnoxious fluttering. He couldn't help but cringe internally at how pale her face was, how weak her voice came out.

"Better. Much better," Kagome tried but regretted how the sound of her voice contradicted her. She let out a deep breath as exhaustion threatened and her body refused to get warm. She drew the blankets closer to herself to no avail.

"You've been out for almost a week."

Kagome almost blanched. Guilt struck her almost immediately about how concerned she must have made everyone. And then her thoughts trailed. What was wrong with her?

"Sorry."

It only made Kouga frown. "Don't apologize Kagome. Just focus on getting well."

His gaze was intense enough that Kagome couldn't had to look away.

"Where are the others?" She suddenly asked, eager to change the subject.

"Sango left again trying to help find the stupid dog. Kaede hasn't returned from her mission yet either." He kept twitching his knuckles uncomfortably.

Kagome let out a sigh and shifted her position a bit.

"What is Inuyasha expecting to find?"

Kouga didn't answer at first. He had almost considered rushing after the mutt. But then, he knew well from earlier experience that Naraku would be long gone.

Kagome's expression looked like she followed his own thoughts. But she washed it off her face instantly and looked back toward him.

"Well I'm glad you're here Kouga." She did find herself eternally grateful for the company.

Kouga gave her a weak smile and reached a hand out to brush the stray hairs that had gotten onto her face. Kagome smiled in return when the warmth from his finger tips traveled through her blood. Summoning some strength, she moved her owns hands to clasp his and drew it down to encircle it on her chest.

"Wow," She held on tighter feeling the strike comparison, "I'm still really cold aren't I?"

Kouga let his frown return and reached out with his other hand to cheek. He took a breath and hesitated, his heart churning.

"Will you let me hold you Kagome?" He asked uncertainly. "I could warm you up."

Kagome let out a breath and would have gave a thankful laugh if she could. The idea seemed strange but her spinning head didn't let her grasp the thought too much. The warmth of his fingers alone reached all the way down to her core and she gave a small nod. "If you would." Kouga would make the coldness going away.

Carefully, Kouga pulled the blankets off and delicately placed his hands on her. Treating her as if she might break, he pulled gently and hefted her onto his lap. Her back to his chest, he tugged her closer and wrapped his arms around her. With a free hand, he recovered the blankets and brought it against him.

The girl's chilled body started to adjust to his own temperature and when Kagome's breathing grew more natural, Kouga let his muscles relax. Shifting her one last time, he rested his chin on the top of her head and breathed in her strawberry scent.

Kagome grinned as the heat enveloped her and let her body completely relax and mold against his.

She could feel the outline of his armor on her back, his abdominal muscles that showed from beneath it. They twitched under her touch and Kagome could feel it vividly through the thin fabric of her shirt.

She hid the embarrassed smile that snuck up on her and drew the blankets up under her chin. She rubbed her cheek over the velvety fabric and sighed.

His closeness alone seemed to give her more energy. Or maybe it was because he was the only one not afraid to touch her in fear she might die.

Her thoughts darkened when the holey memories of the past few days drifted back and she tried to change them.

"Have you told your tribe where you are?" She suddenly asked as the thought occurred to her. She hadn't been awake the entire time but she wasn't sure the wolf prince ever quite left. After all, he was supposed to be their leader right? He couldn't possibly be neglecting them to watch her sleep all the time.

Kouga hummed. "Ginta and Hakkaku found me already. I told them what happened. I'm not going to leave anytime soon."

"Are they upset that you've been gone so long?" Kagome looked at his hands and absently trailed her fingers over his. The wolf shifted in minor surprise and he let his arms tighten over hers. A flush ran across his face and he could smell nothing but his scent.

"They've gotten used to me chasing after Naraku. It is my duty to take that monsters head." He sneered at the thought. His thoughts darkened further when he felt the girl's heart rate pick up at the name. Not only did Naraku kill his comrades but now even _his_ Kagome. A low growl in his throat rose and Kagome felt the vibration deep in his chest. She grabbed his hand and held it.

Kouga tried to push the rising anger away, and turned his cheek to rest it against her head. Kagome didn't seem to mind and he nuzzled further instead trying to focus on just how close his woman was.

Kouga's heart stirred at the thought and he suddenly wished he could kiss her. His cheeks warmed more, and he let his eyes shut. The old woman wouldn't be back for awhile and he doubted Inuyasha would even return for a few days.

The idea kept his heart beating a little faster and he tried to refocus in the moment. Kagome didn't fight his affection at all. The tiny actions would have brought a blush to her face in any normal circumstance but she didn't think she could muster it if she tried. But it wasn't just that though. She did feel better than usual and not just because Kouga held her. It felt almost like her aura was coming back, her strength returning slightly. Kagome fingered the thought in her mind but couldn't give it too much examination. Instead, she reasoned simply to enjoy the sense of renewed strength. Or at least the ability to stay awake without struggling, the breaths that seemed to reach deeper in her lungs, and her heart beat that kept rhythmically going without much protest.

Suddenly, Kagome pressed her palms to the ground and squirmed in Kouga's arm until he released her. Twisting around, she faced him without leaving his lap.

Kouga pulled back, surprised, when she blinked her oversized brown eyes and grinned at him.

"Uh, Kagome?"

"You should kiss me." She felt blood rush to her face when she whispered the words but steeled her nerves refusing to back down. Kouga's mouth fell open and he didn't react at first.

Kagome's nerves screamed at her but she forced a short laugh. Reaching forward, she cupped his cheek. Kouga was always looking out for her. And though she didn't want to over think it, it really made her want to kiss him.

The wolf demon shut his mouth with a pop and grabbed her shoulders.

"Kagome, you should be resting," He tried and stopped when she shook her head.

"Don't treat me like I'm going to break." Kagome leaned forward and the second she felt Kouga's grip ease, she closed in on his lips. They touched for a second and he finally responded.

A bolt of electricity shot up her spine when he pressed forward. Kouga relented, his heart flipping when she kissed him. Slipping his hands around her back, he drew her forward so she could rest her weight on him.

Freeing a hand, he pressed it into her hair—the movement encouraging Kagome to lean farther into him. The heat between them exploded and burned all the way to Kagome's core.

Kouga tightened his grip, thought vaguely acknowledging Kagome would have pushed him over had she enough strength, and he kissed her for a second more. Tugging her hair back, he forced her to pull away.

Kagome squeaked with annoyance but obeyed him and pulled away a bit. She let out a heavy breath, her heart beat still racing, and smiled.

Kouga looked away for a second, trying to regain his own composure and fight the blood that pooled in his cheeks.

"Kagome." He ran his hands down her hair and over her shoulder.

He tried to put his thoughts together but they kept scattering on him. The back of his mind screamed about why exactly he'd stopped her, but the rational part of his mind protested. She'd nearly been killed and she shouldn't be crawling all over him. His heart twanged and he shook his head. He would never complain that his Kagome wanted him so badly—the mere idea boosted his ego more than he could imagine—but her safety did come first.

"What—" The breath he took in brought a scent to his nose and Kouga shot his hands off of her instantly. He twisted to the door when the Kaede came through the entrance way.

Kagome's heart twisted and she froze in her spot.

Kaede's eyes roamed over them for half a second, before the old woman jerked into motion, dropping her bow and arrows against the wall. She shook her head when Kagome and Kouga roughly untangled themselves and plopped down on the floor awkwardly.

Turning back around, the old woman looked straight at Kagome and spoke.

"I think I have found the pieces we were missing."


	16. what is evil

A/N: Haha, I noticed a discrepancy in the last two chapters. There was supposed to be a note in chapter 15 about how they put clothes on her while she was asleep. Butttt it got cut when I did some editing. Next thing there was she was jumping in Kouga's lap…with no clothes on? I dunno. I'll have to fix that.

Anyways, hope I don't lose you in this chapter. I kept rewriting it…but I think this is the easiest version. And it's short and sweet. Drop me a line if you didn't get it!

~*~

Kagome was sure her blood left her brain and pooled in her cheeks. Kouga and her had separated and sat up, twitching anxiously as Kaede took her time setting up. She started tea and sat cross-legged before them.

Fatigue tugged weakly at Kagome but she forced herself to stay up and held a blanket firmly around her.

"So what old woman? What'd you find out?" Kouga asked abruptly when he couldn't wait anymore.

Kaede shot him a silencing look and the wolf prince blanched. She instead focused on the boiling pot near her. It hissed and crackled in the corner until she pulled it aside, pouring it into a cup with shaky hands. She finally spoke to him.

"Be patient, young one. Time will not adversely affect us in this matter."

The wolf prince frowned.

"What did you find Kaede?" Kagome spoke up before Kouga could again.

"We must wait for the others. I don't wish to repeat myself."

A flash of panic shot through Kagome when she thought Inuyasha would come, but it died away when she kept studying the miko's expression.

Kaede seemed too deep in thought about the issue at hand to be distracted by what she witnessed earlier. And Kagome wasn't even entirely sure Kaede would care or be stupid enough to be the one to tell Inuyasha.

Kagome looked down towards her hands, lost in thought. Miroku and Shippou arrived fairly quickly. Sango arrived last, dragging herself through the door with a dark expression shadowing her.

She dropped her boomerang, seemingly unconcerned when it crashed to the ground, and dropped to a seat next to Miroku.

Kagome opened her mouth to question her friend but stopped herself.

Kaede stole back their attention. She settled herself, stirring the tea in front of her.

"Tell me child, can ye see the jewel shards anymore?"

Kagome's heart skipped a beat. Brow furrowing, she snapped her head over to stare at the wolf prince.

Her breath left her and she sounded out the rest of the room. Even Kouga stared back at her with fright and confusion written over his face.

She let her eyes fall to his forearm, to his legs. And even where she knew the jewel shards must be there was no characteristic glow that emanated. Kagome blinked and squinted, staring harder. Still, nothing showed itself.

She let out a squeak of frustration and looked back at her hands.

"No." She admitted.

"What's this mean if she can't see the jewel shards, Kaede?" Sango instantly voiced the room's thoughts.

Kagome could feel everyone shift uncomfortably, but forced herself to look back up to the old miko.

Kaede didn't seem overly concerned.

"It's not quite that simple. I believe this to be only a temporary concern. Kagome-sama uses her spiritual powers much like anyone would his physical strength. But that does not mean if one are unable to fight after already being exhausted from battle that it is a permeate effect. No, I find this more to be a waiting game." Everyone listened intently. "Kagome-sama's aura is almost non-existent. It's very much a miracle that the demon didn't kill her when it died itself. "

Kouga couldn't help but let a growl out, his hackles on edge.

But still, Kagome let a wash of relief wash over her. While she'd never considered her gift as a gift, she knew it was at the center of the shard hunt. The thought of really losing it chilled her.

"So what does this mean?" Sango pressed, letting her mind click carefully over every word.

Kaede took a deep breath.

"She has to rebuilt her aura—more painstakingly than any mortal wound I'm afraid. I'm not too familiar with the process, ye see so rare is it that a person can actually harvest or spindle the energy to compel it into a palpable form."

"I understand." Miroku nodded as she finished. "The aura is the source of all of our spiritual powers. Kagome's purifying power and her ability to see shards should be no different."

Kaede agreed, but refocused the attention.

"This is where I believe things get tricky though. Ye know, Miroku, there are ways to repair an aura faster."

If Miroku knew, he didn't say anything but leaned forward closer.

"There is a way, others tell me, though difficult is an ability to share one's aura with another. To rebuilt its strength." Kaede let out a breath and tried to reword it. "Have ye ever found ye heal faster when loved ones surround ye?"

"With their loves come parts of their aura. Their strength." Miroku almost whispered, utterly transfixed at the thought. "Yes, yes I've heard of this before."

"It is ancient in theory. But this may allow us to rebuild Kagome-sama's aura rapidly, if we so donate."

Kouga's head tilted.

"How?" He demanded over the others and called attention back to him. "How can we do this?"

Kaede looked at him.

"There is no way to truly wield it in a palpable form. But it should seem that supportive physical contact would. In fact it may be that Kagome knows this already."

A shock straightened out Kagome's spine and she looked alarmingly at the old miko. Kissing Kouga had been to take part of his aura. She couldn't stop the horror and scandal from playing across her face. She did think it was odd that through fatigue, the urge to kiss Kouga had sprung upon her. But that could have just been from him being there for her. Right?

Kagome couldn't convince herself. And even as Miroku, Sango, and Kaede continued to discuss how they could help, she couldn't wrap her mind around it.

Sucking energy off others people's auras seemed…disgusting. She refused to be a leach off of her friends to get her strength back. And the more she repeated the thought in her head, she couldn't tolerate it.

"No."

Her voice brought all attention in the room back to her.

"I'm not going to take part of anyone's aura. It's wrong. And evil."


	17. Dominos

Kagome wasn't sure what she expected their reactions to be. But Kouga, springing up and admonishing her wasn't it.

"Don't be an idiot." He sounded so much like Inuyasha in that moment, Kagome had to double take. The wolf-prince folded his arms over his chest and nodded firmly with his words. Still, he hadn't carried the sheer annoyance and sharpness in his voice that Inuyasha would have.

Kagome blinked.

"It's not like you're stealing it from us. The old woman said willingly. Plus," He tilted his head up, "Why would I let something so stupid put you in danger."

Kagome's mouth fell open with sudden frustration. How could they even think this was okay? She had no intention of being a leech—especially not if she was going to get better on her own.

Kagome jerked her head to look around at the others. The group of frowning faces made her heart pang.

"You guys can't agree with this!" She felt her voice break as she shouted.

But no one reacted in kind. Sango only cringed and Miroku held out a hand to try and calm her. Before they could put in a piece Kagome tore the blanket off letting it crumple to the ground. She shot up on shaky knees and rushed outside before anyone tried to stop her.

She made it down the uneven steps and stopped at the bottom. Her breath abruptly escaped her and she let herself drop to sit on the last concrete step. She found herself staring at the brown grass and the edge of the dirty step.

She let out deep breath when she heard the door mat being pulled aside.

He didn't say anything as he descended the steps next to her. Kouga stayed silent even as his tail caught the step oddly and twitched from under him.

Kouga hadn't expected the outburst but he couldn't say he didn't necessarily understand it. While Kouga had never been very…pure in his life, he knew his Kagome valued that all too much. She would never hurt anyone—especially not her friends—to help herself. He liked that about her.

But still, it clashed with his desire to protect her. The idea that he _could_ help her when he failed to protect had actually made him really happy. And that she would deny him that made a frustrating knot form in his chest. Part of him wanted to scream at her like he would any lower member of his den but he repressed it.

Instead, he tried to force it down and dug his heels into the hard dirt.

They stayed quiet for a second. Kagome fingered the hem of her shirt nervously. The idea still left something dark in her chest, but with every second it lightened a bit.

A wind brushed through and Kagome shivered. Before she could react, Kouga draped an arm over her.

"You should go inside Kagome." He said shortly.

"I will…soon Kouga-kun….I just don't think that's okay for me to be taking people's aura like that." She struggled with the words.

Kouga squeezed her shoulders for a second.

"I deserve to lose my entire aura to you for blatantly failing to protect you like that. I won't ever put you in danger like that again, Kagome."

"It wasn't your fault Kouga." She tried to reassure him, but when the wolf-prince went stiff she knew he didn't believe her.

Instead, she let out a sigh and allowed herself to lean closer to him.

"It's not just that." She let herself admit. Her voice lowered some but she knew he could still hear her.

"I don't like the idea I don't know if I really want to kiss you because it's you or if it's to steal your aura."

Her heart skipped a beat when he didn't answer at first, but Kouga finally spoke.

"You'll know the same way I knew that I'd still love you if you couldn't see the jewel."

Kagome's face lit up and she jerked her head to look away. She'd known the wolf-prince had the capacity to be romantic but that statement threw her through a hoop.

Her face burned, but she still found some truth in the words. As long as she promised herself not to hurt them, maybe…maybe she could get used to this for just a little while. And then she'd have to hunt for the jewel twice as hard to make it up.

Sensing her reaction, Kouga smiled to himself. He reached out to grab her chin in his hands. Using a little force, he turned her face back to him.

Letting a brilliant smile grace his face he showed just a hint of a fang.

"Well, if you want to test it."

His cocky smile made her mouth drop open. More like the Kouga she knew.

"Kouga." She chided lightly and looked away to be a little stubborn.

And just as she drew her eyes up a flicker of brown caught her eyes.

Kagome gasped.

"Shippou!"

Before the kit could move from his place in the bush, Kouga dove out.

In a ferocious tackle, he knocked the kit to the ground and yanked him up by his tail. Hackles raised, he gave the kitsune rattle.

"Kagome! Kagome!" Shippou cried, arms flailing toward the girl who sat stunned on the stoop.

Kagome brought a hand to her mouth for half a second before she reached out for Kouga.

"Kouga, stop please."

The wolf-prince refused to drop the kitsune but stopped rattling him.

"Little brat was spying on us!"

"Kagome! He's worse than Inuyasha!" Shippou kept sobbing, fist sized tears dripping down his face.

Kagome reached her hands out for him, pulling him free of Kouga's grasp and into her lap. Shippou immediately dug his face into her chest, wrapping his hands into her shirt as he cried.

"It's okay Kouga, just give me a moment."

Kagome let out a sigh. Naturally, the terror of her secret being out gave her heart a jolt. But fatigue kept tugging at her. She dug her fingers into his fur and gently tugged him, trying to free his face from her shirt.

"Shippou, we aren't mad." Her voice barely carried over the wailing. She kept trying to focus on rhythmically stroking his back and sent one last pleading look toward Kouga.

It took a few minutes until the tiny kit pulled his face away, wiping his eyes with his paws, and blinking.

"Kagome I'm sowwy. I just wanted to see what you were doing!"

"I know Shippou, it's okay!" She kept brushing his warm fur.

Kouga gave a soft growl and reluctantly sat down next to her. His tail folded around his abdomen and he crossed his arms. The stupid fox set off his instincts and left his adrenaline burning in his veins. Not to mention he interrupted his moment with Kagome. In his mind, that was enough to eat the squirt or at least throw him somewhere.

Kagome finally coaxed the fox to relax a bit. He still stayed close to her shirt, but looked around anxiously.

"What are you guys doing out here? I wanted to make sure you were okay Okaa-san."

Kagome cringed a bit. Of course, Shippou overheard it all. She could just tell by the way he was looking wide-eyed at them. But then, he was probably too afraid of Kouga to voice it.

"Kagome?" He tentatively asked again, reaching out to touch her face.

She caught his tiny paw.

"Shippou, I'm not mad at you coming out here to find me. But you think you can avoid telling anyone what you saw?"

"You don't even want Sango to know?"

"I don't want Inuyasha to know. He's going to pick up on it if everyone else knows." She sighed.

He'd probably find out from the loudmouth kit, even if Shippou didn't mention it intentionally. While Shipppou was a loyal friend, he didn't usually think much before he started to talk.

"Why do you like Kouga now Kagome? When did this happen?" He kept up the inquisitive questions.

The flush lightly returned to her cheeks but she shook it off.

"Just recently, Shippou please. Please promise me you won't mention it again." She tried more directly, just glimpsing at Kouga for a half second.

The fox pouted for a second and folded his arms. He hummed for a second, and nodded.

"I will Kagome."

She gave a weak smile, but the kit kept talking.

"But you know, chocolate would make me forget easier."

She leaned forward to rest her forehead on her knees, almost crushing the kit in her lap. Kouga immediately reached out to her but she shook her head.

Kagome could already picture the dominos beginning to fall.


	18. How long is awhile

"Kagome."

The young girl turned her head at the sound of her voice and found herself staring at the entrance where Sango stood. Before opening her mouth again, Sango strode closer to kneel down next to her.

"Inuyasha is here. Perhaps you should talk to him. He is really worried you know." Sango tried to whisper but she was certain everyone already knew.

Kagome moved her head to glance across the hut to where Kouga sat. A scowl had clearly etched on the better part of his face and she almost sighed. So everyone did already know.

She drew her eyes back to the crumpled paper that sat in her hand. Kagome'd been trying to study when it would seem all roots of conversation had dried up. The subject kept lurching back to earlier events and specifically Naraku until her companions got even more tense. Kouga had still sat by her side when she could think of nothing else but to lapse into silence. And then when he reluctantly seemed to get up and move across the room, only then did Kagome consider looking over her term papers.

The words seemed blurred over like the black ink had melted, and yet Kagome wasn't sure if it was the paper or her. And the attempting to read was just giving her a central headache.

Kagome lowered the paper to the floor and ignored Sango's hand when she tried to help her up.

Kagome's knees burned and shook when she did. Jolts of pain would occasionally shock upward on her spine and her heart kept twisting. But she ignored the irritating sensations when she reached her full height and instead gave into a mental yelp of triumph.

"How long has he been here?" She turned her attention back to the subject at hand.

Sango shrugged and shook her head.

"I don't know. Probably for awhile if I had to guess. He's posted himself up in a tree again."

Kagome connected the ideas. He'd probably arrived when the wolf prince decided to move. She clicked her tongue. While the two hated each other, Kouga certainly seemed on the more cooperating end.

"Thank you Sango. I'll try to see if I can bring him around." She nodded with new determination and made towards the straw mat door.

"Do you need help?" Sango tried to offer her a hand one last time but Kagome once more ignored it.

She didn't want to drag everyone else down—especially since they've all been trying to pitch her some aura. Even Miroku wrapped his arm around her shoulder in an effort to help—more notably was the fact he kept his hands to himself. Kagome didn't necessarily like the thought. Just how sick did they think she was?

When she reached the rock steps, she slowed, finding each step gave her back a jolt and made her muscles threaten to go wobbly.

The aura the others had given her had certainly given her more strength, the mere fact that she was able to walk again this soon was amazing, but she still felt the fatigue.

Looking up toward the sky, she squinted through the heavy sun beams that fell from directly above her. The tree looked like nothing but a blurry outline but Kagome spotted just enough red.

She kept walking, reaching out until she touched the rough bark of the tree base.

"Inuyasha." Her voice sounded weak enough to make her flinch.

Kagome didn't receive an answer at first and she popped her head up while trying to see better.

If she knew him well enough, which she did in theory, she could already picture what he'd look like.

He probably sat cross legged with his back against the tree, arms folded into his billowing red sleeves, and sword resting against his shoulder. His ears were probably flat and his eyes were closed, his nose wrinkled and his mouth shut.

The specific nature of her mental image would have usually made Kagome laugh. But Inuyasha had been acting fairly snippety to her lately. And while her heart did curl in some fear of getting attitude again, fatigue helped wash away a bit of her worry. She stood there for a minute more before turning her own back to the tree and sitting down against it.

Just as she closed her eyes she could hear a loud thud and grass shifting next to her. Opening her eyes, she gave a smile to the silver haired dog demon.

"Hey Inuyasha."

His ears twitched.

"How are you feeling?"

Kagome resisted the urge to roll her eyes at the repetitive question.

"Much better." She opted to say instead. "I take it Kaede filled you in."

Inuyasha nodded quickly and cast a quick glance toward the house.

"I'm not going to lecture your stupid ass on how idiotic you running off was." He turned away and gave his usual frown.

Kagome's heart lightened a bit at the lack of contempt. Instead, he'd replaced it with his usual irritating attitude that Kagome had come to believe was because he cared for her.

"And now we lost a chance to actually catch Naraku too." He added harshly

Kagome's thought immediately shattered. So maybe he hadn't gotten over the new attitude change.

"Gee, thanks Inuyasha. I'm so sorry my almost dying inconvenienced you." She snapped back sharply, ready for an argument.

Inuyasha faltered a bit, failing to give it to her.

"Feh." He started, "Just don't do it okay, bitch?"

Kagome let the sudden rush of anger wash away from her. She leaned back more on the tree and fatigue replaced it.

"Now what?" She forced herself to stay alert and focus on now. "We just return to hunting the shards until we get another clue?"

Inuyasha still didn't look at her.

"Kikyou says there may still be a chance to corner him at that mountain base. We threw off his plans a bit so he has to regroup before he can move again."

Kagome couldn't help when her breath left her at the name. She immediately tried to shift her attention to what else he'd said. But the rapid clenching of her heart and stomach that always happened around the subject of Kikyou caught her first.

Kagome sucked in a rough breath of crisp air.

"Why are you listening to Kikyou on this? Since when does she want to help us?"

"Kikyou hates Naraku too." He shot back sharply, "she'll do whatever it takes to bring him down."

Kagome's heart gave a slow lurch. Of course that's why he'd been giving her a nasty attitude lately. No one but Kikyou could bring this mood change about. She let her thoughts darken hopelessly.

"So how exactly are you planning to win? We've never had much luck before." She forced herself on in the conversation but it sounded in her voice. Gritting her teeth, she tried to fight it.

"The way I kill ever other demon. Except you aren't coming with me on this one. I can't be protecting you all the time and get distracted."

Kagome's eyes gave the sudden sting of tears.

"You know, Inuyasha, you are a jerk." Her voice flailed but she ignored it.

Snatching up the wooden bark behind her, she forced her way to a shaky stand. Inuyasha's amber eyes darted open when she moved.

"Go with Kikyou and you're going to get yourself killed." She went on.

Inuyasha snapped to a stance after her. His ears lowered but pure fury didn't ring in his eyes. Kagome instantly wondered if it was because of her ragged breathing. Fuck, did her muscles hurt.

Inuyasha caught her eyes and the intensity in them held hers for a minute. He waited for her heart to calm and spoke quietly but firmly.

"I just came here to tell you that I won't be back for awhile. And when I come back I'll have killed Naraku and gotten his shards. I will be back here alive."

Kagome blinked.

"How long?"

Inuyasha let out a heavy breath and continued in the somber tone.

"As long as it takes."

Kagome let her head snap to the side as the tears burned in her glassy eyes.

"So you're just going to abandon us—after all we've done together to gather the shards? And that's it?" Her voice was breaking.

Inuyasha suddenly reached his arms out. Before she could react, he drew her into a tight hug. Kagome gasped accordingly but he ignored it. Tilting his head forward, he whispered clearly into her ear.

"I'm not going to see you killed for this. And this is something Kikyou and I have to finish. It is what we started." Kagome listened silently. His grip tightened a bit and he spoke one last sentence.

"I do love you Kagome, but we can never be together."

Kagome's heart froze. Her thoughts froze. And before she could process the words, he released her. The absence of his warmth abruptly snapped her back to reality.

She blinked as he pulled away, trying to catch his eyes again. But Inuyasha never looked back. He kicked into motion and took off running into the forest.

Kagome watched him go until he disappeared in the trees and she couldn't see him anymore.

~*~*~

A/N: Sorry about the slow updates. I was very cautious with this one. I hope it seems realistic to the show and the story. Drop me a line if you think it did/n't.


	19. For you

Sango had kept her mouth shut as long as she could. But with every minute, it grew colder and Kagome sat outside longer. Her instinctual worry for her friend was raging but no one seemed to share her concern.

Kaede tended the fire and Miroku sipped a hot cup of tea. Both of their eyes had long since misted over with deep thought of the situation. Sango didn't blame them. Just when she wrapped her mind around everything that happened, a flood of questions followed.

It didn't seem important at the moment though. Everyone knew Kagome nearly died and she sat outside in the cold. Sango shifted to try to peer out of the doorframe. She could catch the black of Kagome's hair near the tree outside. She didn't see the hanyou, but to be fair, he could have been in a tree. Before anyone could call her on spying, she pulled her head back inside.

"Kouga, you don't care either?" She finally spoke.

The wolf prince had acted the strangest of all. He'd posted himself on the other side of the door with his legs folded and eyes shut. He didn't react at first.

Finally he said, "She's coming in now."

The door mat swung open making the demon slayer jump.

"Kagome are you all right?" Sango sprung up from the floor to help her.

Kagome's face had paled considerably and she drew her thin blanket tighter over her shoulders. Accepting Sango's arm, they both walked over closer to the fire. Kagome sat down slowly, like her bones hurt. The pain in her face didn't go unnoticed.

"Here, child." Kaede gathered up another cup of tea. The liquid swirled in the cup causing a tornado of steam.

Kagome accepted the drink gratefully.

"So what Inuyasha have to say?" Sango asked when the girl had settled.

Kagome hesitated to an answer. She didn't want to voice it. Inuyasha had left her outside at least twenty minutes ago. She spent the remaining time in a thoughtless daze. For the most part, Kagome knew this wasn't the end. Inuyasha had tried to get rid of her before and it seemed like fate drew them back together. That idea still stood as her salvation.

But the words he'd whispered in her ear and the sudden absence of his presence made her heart hurt. And she knew if she told Sango, if she voiced the words, it would all be bitterly real. Kagome wasn't ready to take that step.

Her eyes drifted up to the wolf prince. His eyes weren't open but with youkai senses, he must have known she was there.

He had positioned himself by the door after all.

"Kouga-kun." Her voice came out weaker than she intended.

The wolf prince's eyes snapped open immediately. Brows pinching, he launched into a new instinctual worry. Kagome spoke again before he could act on it.

"Kouga-kun, did you hear what Inuyasha said?"

Shock washed over him. Kouga had sat by the door for that very reason. He'd intended to give his Kagome as much privacy as possible without allowing the mutt to hurt her. But he hadn't been prepared to react to what he heard.

Knowing it already showed on his face, he nodded.

He could smell Kagome's hurt the entire time she was out there. In the cabin together, it only got worse.

His own emotions were out of line but he could identify one. Reluctantly, he knew he was too afraid to comfort Kagome. Especially when she was crying over the competition.

Kouga wasn't stupid. As much as he hated Inuyasha, he knew the dog meant a lot to Kagome. And intruding on that seemed wholly inappropriate.

"Yes." He said quietly.

Sango snapped her head between them. It didn't take much for her to pick up the change in pace.

"What's going on?" She decided to drill Kouga. "What did he want?"

Kouga made a nasty face.

"He said he was going to look for the shards with that dead woman. Kikyou."

All of the cabin's occupants now stirred.

Miroku then inquired, "Is he planning to go after Naraku with her as well?"

Kouga nodded. In half a second, a wave of protests burst from Miroku, Sango, and Kaede. The old woman won out, potentially out of a matter of respect, and waited till the others went quiet.

"Does he not realize my sister's true intentions? My sister was a valiant miko who would have fought evil. But her new dead form may not be so predictable."

Miroku bobbed his head in agreement.

Sango brought her attention back to the quiet girl who sat in the corner. Shippou had rushed her, curling in her lap like a puppy. She stroked his fur absently. Whatever swirled in her cup kept her gaze.

"Did he say when he was coming back?"

Kagome shrugged lightly. She regretted it when a pang of discomfort shot through her body. Determined though, she didn't let it show on her face.

"When he finishes." She said.

Sango pounded her fists on the wooden floor.

"Inuyasha's being stupid and hard headed as usual. He's probably just upset he let you get hurt and now has gone off on his usual tangent." She voiced the frustration. "Look, he's going to come back sooner. Right when he realizes he can't do it without us."

Kagome wanted to believe that.

Before anyone else could speak, Kouga suddenly snapped up rigid. His nostrils flailed.

"What's wrong?" Kagome asked.

He stood up swiftly. Knocking the straw mat out of the way, he edged outside.

"I smell a demon."

The whole cabin's alarm system went off. Without a second of hesitation, Sango ran for her boomerang. Miroku stood, staff ready, and dashed to the door.

Shippou scrambled around Kagome in a full circle like he couldn't decide where to stand.

"I'll protect you Kagome!" He finally decided sitting on her lap was the best place. His tiny fist lit up blue with fox fire.

"Kouga, stay here with Kagome. Miroku, come with me." Sango snapped order instantly.

It just took another second for the screaming of the villagers to reach them.

Kagome immediately used to wall to pull herself up. She wasn't going to sit back while her friends rushed into battle.

Kouga sprung back when a villager raced up the steps. The bald man tripped and smashed onto the doorframe.

"Lady Kaede!" He called the old woman.

Kaede was up in an instant.

"What is it? What plagues ye?"

"My lady, there is a monster in the village."

Kouga growled with impatience.

"I told you."

The man staggered up. He turned his head to stare straight at Kagome.

"Lady Kagome," He said, "they have come for you."


	20. If it's real

A/N: Hey guys, I know I didn't drop an author's note last week to fill you in with what's happening. There's a basic explanation on my profile page but with any luck I should be getting back to updating this more frequently. I've been writing so many school papers lately the writing style of this story may have changed. Now I'm not sure anyone notices or cares but I'm trying to fit it back to form.

Anyways, about the last chapter. I cut this during the initial proof but I'd have to insinuate later on. Long story short, in the last chapter, Kouga heard everything but what Inuyasha whispered in her ear.

~*~

Frustration gnawed at Kagome. She still stood against her shaking muscles but the overwhelming fatigue threatened to make her knees buckle. Sango and Miroku had already dashed through the doorway with weapons ready. The screaming got louder outside.

Kaede snatched up her bow and arrows. She was soon to follow leaving the gasping villager holding onto the wall to calm his breathing.

Kagome watched fairly helplessly. The fox at her feet held on to her ankle trying to calm her. The demon had come looking to her and her friends were going to fight it.

Only Kouga hesitated by the doorway.

"What could they want for me?" She asked.

Her head kept spinning. She couldn't see the shards anymore. Did the demon come looking for the shikon jewel? That wouldn't just put her friends in danger; it would put Kouga in danger too.

She debated her options when Kouga answer.

"It doesn't matter Kagome, I'm not going to let them touch you." He growled.

Marching up, he swept her into his arms while ignoring the fox kit's surprised squeak.

"Now that the mutt is out of the picture, I'll be the one protecting you." He said into her ear.

Uncertainly initially swarmed him about jumping on the dog's case so soon. But with Inuyasha out of the picture, his Kagome would have to know and accept the fact that it was now only him keeping her from harm. He swore he'd protect her with his life and he was going to do it.

"Kouga-kun." She said in his chest. Her cheek pressed against the coldness of his armor and she wanted to relax into it. But since her encounter with Naraku's incarnation, she stayed focus on the danger at hand.

"Please go help my friends," She asked him, "Inuyasha isn't here to do it anymore."

Kouga hesitated for half a second. He nodded firmly.

"Scream for me if you need me. I'll be here to rescue you." He said.

A light flush ran her cheeks when he popped a kiss on her forehead. Shippou made yakking sounds at her feet but they both ignored it. While it didn't fill the gap in her heart, the warmth helped. It helped lift her spirit energy up.

He released her and with a cocky grin and a kick start tornado, he rushed out to help the others.

Kagome pushed her back up against the wall. Even with the pick-me-up, her world was threatening to spin.

"So are you guys like dating now?" Shippou popped his head up and asked her. His eyes had grown wider but Kagome couldn't detect any disapproval in them. Shippou had run across them before so the shock had probably left his system. But it would still hurt if the fox kit, which she considered a child, disapproved of her new love interest.

"Not really." It sounded odd on her tongue. "I'll explain it later." She told him.

The villager left on the floor gave out a sickening gasp. Loud and broken, it sounded like fluid had collected in his lungs. Kagome's attention snapped back to him.

"Are you all right?" She pushed herself off the wall to go to his aid.

The man looked middle-aged at least with sunspots, over tanned skin, and a balding head. His mouth stayed a gap, tilted to the floor. His spidery fingers clenched at his old tattered brown shirt, hovering over his heart.

Shippou sprung over too.

"Are you okay?"

The man suddenly twisted back. Cracking his back against the wall, he slammed his fists against together.

Shock hit Kagome hard. She sprung back.

The man's face started to change. The tan skin started to dust. His black eyes started to glow, expanding outward of his pupil until the entire socket turned black. His open mouth stretched downward, suddenly revealing his white teeth. They morphed. The teeth turned to fangs and his forked tongue flickered out of his mouth.

Kagome screamed.

Shippou clawed at her feet.

"Kagome! Kagome! It's the demon!" He cried.

Kagome's heart froze.

She staggered backwards, slipping when her muscles refused to hold her up. Her backside smacked the ground hard.

"Shippou! Get over here!" She held out her hands.

Shippou landed in her arms. They both slid back watching in horror.

The demon's skin stopped dropping. When the dust cleared, a white bone showed beneath. Kagome gasped when she realized it was a skeleton.

"Kagome!" It hissed. Its head rattled like a bobble-head, twisting to the right and left. Abruptly, it snapped to the side in an unnatural angle.

"What do you want?" Kagome tried to shield the fox kit.

"I've coming searching for you. Searching for you when I heard them screaming your name."

Kagome blinked.

"Who?"

Its head snapped back straight.

"You know who. They're calling for you everywhere. Calling for you from the underworld. They're going to come. They are going to come for you."

Kagome's blood ran cold.

"I don't understand."

The skeleton suddenly dropped to the floor. On all fours, it crawled. Kagome slammed her back against the wall.

"Shippou, Shippou please go get Kouga."

She shook the fox kit. He didn't respond at first, his eyes wide.

"Come on you can do it!" She tried coaching, well aware that her own voice was breaking. The demon looked like nothing she'd seen before.

The fox snapped into action. Dashing out, his tail in the air, he disappeared through the doorway.

"Can't you hear them?" The skeleton asked.

Kagome didn't answer. Horror slipped over her. The dreams returned to mind. The twisting purple sky, the screaming, the trembling ground.

The skeleton was talking about her nightmares. It knew about her reoccurring nightmares. The realization sunk in.

"What is it they want? I don't understand." She drew her courage from the confusion. "What are they talking about?"

The images she chalked up to nightmares seemed too real now. And the skeleton knew about them. She had to figure it out. If it was real, she had to figure it out.

It drew back. Its bones clicked on the ground as it crawled back.

"I hear them talking about it all the time. I wanted to see you. I wanted to see the miko who would join us soon."

Kagome's heart skipped a beat. A clatter rushed from the doorway. She barely saw the tornado dissipate and the fox demon scamper in.

The skeleton locked its empty eye sockets on her.

"In less than a week, you will die."

Kouga lashed out in a blur. The skeleton smashed into the opposite wall. The pieces of bones shattered upon impact. Dust rained down.

Kagome screamed, holding her hands up as the cabin filled up.

She didn't feel the wolf prince pick her up. The cold brushed them when they slid out the doorway. Only halfway down the road did Kouga stop.

"What the fuck was that?" He screamed.

She didn't hear him.

The skeleton's words still circulated in her brain.

_In less than a week, you will die._


	21. Muse

_In less than a week, you will die._

Kagome couldn't eat and instead found herself staring the hot bowl of ramen in her hands. She didn't have to look up to feel the unspoken stress in the atmosphere. Kouga hovered protectively next to her, every once in awhile letting out a deep set growl in his throat. His thoughts were churning too and whatever he was thinking about was angering him.

Sango stood on edge, pacing in a circle around the fire. She occasionally exchanged silent glances with Miroku. She bared the weight of the oversized boomerang without thought.

They had repositioned themselves outside around a large firepit the village usually reserved for celebrations. Kouga admitted they'd be at a disadvantage from a tactical standpoint if they stayed inside. Something about not being able to see demons coming but Kagome didn't care why.

Sure, she was colder out here. Even with the roaring fire in front of her and the heavy blankets draped over her shoulders she always seemed to be cold. But despite the chill and the threat of sickness, she'd rather be out here than where that demon thing had disintegrated. Just thinking about it made her stomach turn. Yes, she could manage sleeping outside on the hard ground for a month. Anything to be away from that thing.

"Kagome-san…I'd hate to ask again but did the youkai say anything else? Anything else that might have suggested involvement with Naraku's disappearance? Anything that suggested more youkai would be coming?"

Kagome let out a shaking breath. She could hear Kouga's chest vibrate as he quietly growled in protest to disturbing her. In the last few hours, he'd become worse than Inuyasha. It seemed like he'd kill anything that got close to her. Even Shippou sat across the fire near Miroku. Kagome tried not to dwell on it. While she wouldn't want him to get used to that kind of behavior, she could hardly protest now. Especially because Kouga viewed this as his second failure to keep her safe. She had attempted to convince him that he did come in time… but details…

"He just said he wanted to see me. That my name is being called from people in the underworld."

She started to repeat the story and only paused when Miroku nodded accordingly. Rubbing his chin, he voiced his thoughts aloud.

"There is something specific about you Kagome. Something that needs you and only you. You had said that Cerrimatso was created just for you Kagome. If Naraku created something just for you—something so important that he would not worry about the jewel shards you had around your neck…"

Miroku mused.

"Come on monk, you got any answers yet?" Kouga complained as impatiently as Kagome felt.

"I'm trying." Miroku contended. "I am but I can't see the connection yet. What could he need Kagome for that any other jewel seeing miko could not do?"

"You mean like Kikyou?" Kagome asked.

"Like Kikyou." Miroku agreed, deliberately avoiding eye contact. If he noticed the obviousness of the gesture, he didn't show it.

"Well who is to tell us that Naraku hasn't gone after Kikyou too?" Sango stopped her pacing and joined the conversation. Still careful to watch her surroundings, she dug the side of her boomerang into the dirt and rested her arms on the top of it.

"Wait. Didn't Inuyasha take us to the place where Cerrimatso was created on word from Kikyou?" Shippou even asked.

The color drained from the adults faces.

"So you're saying it was all a trap set up by that bloodless bitch?" Kouga hissed. "She knew about it because Naraku had planned to get to her. And then Inuyasha was stupid enough to bring Kagome there instead?"

"Potentially a trade off." Sango followed his thoughts. "Kikyou sold out Kagome to save herself. Regardless if she manipulated Inuyasha to do it."

Before Kouga could open his mouth Sango held a hand up.

"Look, whatever has happened we all know Inuyasha wouldn't put Kagome in harms way even to save Kikyou. He didn't know." She said with such authority no one questioned her.

Kagome nodded firmly. Inuyasha had said he loved her. And though they had now parted, he wouldn't have done that knowingly.

"While all of this is possible, it doesn't explain everything. Kagome, could you finish the story for us one last time?" Miroku regained control of the conversation and refocused it back on Kagome.

The girl took her time. Sipping on the warm liquid soup in some effort to ease her aching throat, she thought.

"Then the man said that they were coming for me."

Kagome left out the dying within the week part. She couldn't say it. Some determined part of her mind knew they would change it. They had too. So there was no point on dwelling. There was no point in scaring her friends.

"That doesn't sound like a generic thing. They need Kagome." Miroku added.

His face went crooked and he stared hard into the licking red flames of the fire place. The air had gotten colder and the wind had picked up until the extra oxygen made the fire roar.

"There are too many variables to consider Miroku. Lady Kikyou is surviving by part of Kagome's soul. And Cerritmatso did tell Kagome she was missing part of her soul. They could very much need them both."

Miroku suddenly launched his staff toward the ground. The wooden stick smashed into the floor with a loud smack and jingle of its metal charms. A dirt cloud exploded from the impact. Miroku's brow had pinched and fists curled showing an uncharacteristic stress of the young monk.

"Miroku." Kagome whispered when she recovered from the shock of the moment first. Kouga had stiffened by her side but made no mention of the abrupt behavior. Guess they all had begun to feel like that.

"It doesn't make sense. But we need to figure it out. Kagome-sama said they were calling her from the underworld. And anything in the underworld cannot end well."

Somehow in that moment it became obvious that Miroku had absorbed much of the leadership since Inuyasha left. The determined sort of anxiety to keep his friends safe. And no doubt he felt like he was failing. Sango must have noticed it too, and she reached forward to rest a hand on his shoulder.

"We'll figure it out together." She said firmly. "But right now—right now we can't get nervous enough to start screwing up. We will protect ourselves. We will protect Kagome. And right now that means helping her build up her aura with positive energy."

Everyone nodded after a moment. Kagome still refused to leech but the innate part of her certainly enjoyed it.

"We need to gather our thoughts." Sango kept on. "Kagome, if you remember anything else you need to tell us."

Kagome agreed instantly. A passing thought went through her mind about the nightmares she'd been having. But in the past week, those had faded. She stared at her soup for a moment, swirling it in her cup.

"So if Kikyou's involved, does that mean we have to catch up with Inuyasha?" Shippou squeezed his way back into the conversation and Kagome's mind diverted.

Kouga made an ugly face and Sango frowned.

"Only if we need to in order to keep Kagome safe…" which sounded like Sango definitely didn't dismiss the possibility. "But right now she can't travel safety anyways."

Kagome watched from where she sat. _In less than a week_…

She dismissed the sick thought immediately. Then Miroku suddenly piped up.

"Positive energy will rebuild Kagome's aura. So for her sake, I will bed her and let her take as much as my aura as she needs." He boomed returning to his typical womanizing fashion.

Though the following slap sounded like it hurt, Kagome laughed.

A.N: just to prove I'm not dead. I'll work on the next chapter tomorrow where there will be more Kag/Kou and more stuff actually happening!


	22. One step at a time

"There's eh." Kouga struggled to word it. "There's nothing going on with you and that lecherous monk right?"

His cheeks had flushed and he refused to look at her opting instead to bury his mouth in her soft hair. She smelt off—from that demon attack—but still sweet like his Kagome.

"Miroku? No…trust me. Nothing going on there." Kagome said and then had to laugh.

The group had dispersed some. Kouga had volunteered to go on first watch and Sango and Miroku curled up under a nearby tree to sleep. Naturally, Kagome stayed up a bit to talk to the wolf prince. Even in the midst of chaos, she wanted to make sure they were still on the same page. Or any page for that matter. She didn't know where they were at. But she knew that it was delicate.

And then he dropped that question on her after slowly wrapping his arms around her from behind—to help her aura, he said. In turn, she leaned against the hot metal of his armor and let her head fall just underneath his chin.

"Then why do you think it's funny he tries to bed you like that?" Kouga growled.

He couldn't help but take it personally when the monk had made that comment. And had that woman not gotten to the monk first, he would have slammed his fist into the monk's head. Kagome was _his_ woman and they were going to have to accept it eventually.

"Miroku's kidding." Kagome said. Well, maybe he was half kidding. "He's in love with Sango. He wouldn't do that to her. And besides, it sure beats being doom and gloom all the time."

She relaxed her back and subsequently leaned into his embrace more. She couldn't see his eyes from where she was and missed the ability to read his changing emotions. But the warmth of his heavy arms around her did lift her spirits. The wolf prince had nuzzled his mouth into her hair and bubbled her in enough that Kagome could have forgotten they were outside with their sleeping companions not even ten feet away.

The fire had quit burning and had died out to mere embers of its former self. The sun had set and the stars came out in a neon and blue sky. The village activity had virtually died off as everyone slept. But Kagome knew Kaede had placed some night watchmen out at the village's edge. The last thing they needed was a youkai outbreak.

Still, it was quiet. Quiet enough to only hear the steadiness of their breathing and the occasional hissing rustle of the tree branches in the wind.

"You should sleep." Kouga said after awhile.

"You should stop telling me what to do." Kagome replied—abruptly embarrassed when a sudden yawn bit through her words.

Kouga's chest rumbled but he didn't quite laugh out loud.

"Shut up." Her cheeks burned pink and she was suddenly glad they weren't exactly looking at each other.

"And I can't exactly sleep on you. How rude is that?" She amended.

"I don't mind." The wolf prince whispered in return and Kagome's cheeks hurt from the extra blood flow.

"We can't wake up wrapped up in each other." She cast a quick glance at her sleeping friends. Shippou occasionally tossed and turned but he already knew. And then his quiet snores would start up again.

Kouga withdrew some letting a rush of cold replace him.

"What are we doing?" Kouga asked suddenly.

Dread made Kagome hesitate.

"What do you mean?" She asked carefully.

"You really afraid to tell them? I thought it was just the stupid puppy you didn't want to tell."

Kagome snapped her mouth shut afraid to respond because she honestly didn't know how to respond. The dirt floor instantly seemed more interesting.

Yes, initially she had told Kouga the reason she wanted to keep them—whatever they were—on the downlow was because of Inuyasha. And just as abruptly, Inuyasha seemed all too out of the picture. He'd chosen Kikyou over her. And though the rational part of her brain held no bones about it, some part of Kagome hadn't accepted it yet.

She drew her arms around herself and pulled off of Kouga just as her mind started to spin. The wolf prince released her accordingly. In a flurry of movement, he sprung to his feet. Kouga hesitated in his spot, unsure of where to move.

Kagome didn't stand up to follow at first. Her legs didn't want to let her.

Kagome could bear to tell Miroku and Sango. In fact, it didn't seem to matter what they thought. She knew, as her friends, they would stand by her. Kagome shook her head, desperate to clear it.

It wasn't her fear of telling them. It was her fear of making it something serious. If she told them, then she and Kouga would be like…a real couple. A real couple that had a real possibility of making it and getting married. A real couple that had the possibility of staying together forever.

Kagome's heart could have stopped.

She'd never thought about it with Inuyasha. She'd never had to. There was nothing steady there. But if there was with Kouga, things would change. How willing was she to give up her life in the future or her friends? She'd probably end up living in the wolf den. A human among youkai.

Kouga scented the air, unable to read Kagome properly. Sorrow slipped into her scent—the smell of bitter burning plastic. But he couldn't tell from what. Puffing up his chest, he did his best from stopping his heart from sinking.

"I don't know Kouga." She finally whispered. Her large brown eyes had glazed and trained on the floor. Her shoulders shook from the stress of the cold, exhaustion, and anxiety. She drew into herself and into her blankets but it didn't help. It didn't feel like she could ever feel good again. "I can't say I'm ready for it yet."

She glanced at him just long enough to catch a look that could have broken her heart. Wolf youkai were born ready to mate forever. But humans…

Kouga's face had dropped.

"Ready?" He echoed the words loosely. That could only be Kagome's way of saying she didn't want it. The stupid mutt out of the way and she still didn't want it.

Abruptly, he whirled on his heels, putting his back to her. In a fluid movement, he put some distance between them. The air wasn't clear there. Kagome's scent mixed with the burning rubber of anxiety made the air stink. Suddenly desperate to clear it, he headed towards the villages edge in swift, jewel-shard enhanced movements. Kouga didn't look behind him.

He couldn't imagine how he looked. He couldn't even comprehend exactly how he felt. But he could explain one thing. It hurt.

"Kouga. Kouga don't take it the wrong way. I think I—" He didn't stop when she hollered to him. Suddenly desperate not to let him slip away, she pushed herself to her feet. Her legs wobbled beneath her. Pushing the extra weight of the blankets off her shoulders and let them collapse to the floor. Her pulse quickened. She followed his path, her sneakers scuffing over the dirt. She staggered and almost fell but managed to keep her balance until she reached the first line of trees that lead into the forest. He stood there, back away to her. His tail swooshed from side to side. His black hair had been let out of the tie to fall downward over his shoulders.

"Kouga-kun." She said quietly, reaching him.

It was almost inaudible against the moving and swooshing of the trees. The leaves had began to drop with the coming fall and drifted downward with the wind.

The wolf prince noticeably stiffened but didn't run this time.

"Kouga-kun, please don't take it the wrong way." She reached out for him, desperate to feel his skin. He didn't even budge when she touched him. The fleeting rush of emotions made him want to pick up and leave but he didn't dare move. She slid her hands down his arm and grasped his elbow. He didn't respond to her.

"Kouga. You know I'm not from this time. You know what I'd have to give up to stay here. And you know that even if I did, I'm no youkai—don't keep expecting me to act like one."

He didn't answer. She pressed on before her throat closed up any farther. The situation was spiraling downward fast. If she couldn't get through to him, the dark feeling in her stomach knew it was over. His straggly black hair had fallen in front of his face. His eyes had darkened.

"Just listen to me. Kouga, I have to be sure…. I can't make any promises yet. But I do think…" Kagome's throat went dry and her heart pounded a deathly rhythm in her chest. But determined, she rolled the last thing off her tongue without thought. "I think I'm falling in love with you."

The truth of her words resonated back into her ears and her heart fluttered. The familiar tingling sensation that wracked her from head to toe when Inuyasha used to be around returned. It made her forget to breathe sometimes.

Kouga's ears twitched and his tails stopped swaying.

"About time woman." He said after a moment. The changed tone in her voice could have made her laughed with hysteria. He turned then and met her eyes draining the hysteria away.

His blue eyes were nothing but serious flickering with love.

Kagome forgot how to think for a full moment. Then instead, she smiled at him.

"You were beginning to worry me for a second."

"You always worry me." Kouga suddenly kicked into action and drew his arms around her. She had chased him out with nothing but thin jacket and had to be freezing. He wasn't going to end up being what killed Kagome. Especially now.

Kagome greedily leaned into his embrace and tried to slow her heartbeat. She shifted her cheek to rest it against his armor and relaxed her shaking muscles. Okay, that hadn't exactly gone to plan. In fact, Kagome wasn't entirely sure just where they were at now. But at least it was a good place.

"Hey Kouga—" She whispered, pulling away enough just to look him in the face. But the wolf prince had frozen, his hackles up and muscles drawn tight. His blue eyes pierced into the dark forest behind her.

"Kouga?" She asked uncertainly, fear smacking her hard.

Instinct made her freeze. Then the wolf prince growled out slowly and quietly.

"Kagome, tell me if you see that."

And then she slowly turned around to face the darkness.


End file.
